Season 9 of The Curse of Oak Island is well underway. The episode tonight was interesting as they showed some of the research that has been done on some metal objects found in the Money Pit area. Pieces of metal have shown evidence of small amounts of gold when analyzed and further analysis has confirmed this. The composition of the gold residue may also point to gold from Mesoamerica.
Tonight there was not anything on metal detecting, but mainly because other important topics were covered.
The drilling survey in the Money Pit area has continued and is finding interesting evidence about the old tunnels. Bits and pieces of old timber is showing up and they are busy piecing together the location of tunnels.
This year there are more regulatory approvals needed for excavations and in many parts of the island it will be more like an archaeological dig than a treasure hunt. As more is found out about the island more attention is being paid to documenting the history and not losing anything of cultural importance. Tonight they showed the finding of First Nations pottery that is putting a hold on investigations in the swamp. I am sure we will hear more about this in the next few episodes.
They may need to focus on other areas of the island for awhile as negotiations and investigations with the cultural authorities continue.
This image from Google Maps was taken in 2021. The area where the First Nations items were found are at the eastern edge of the swamp and this is an area they are really interested in as they try and follow the direction of the stone road that was found last year.
I am still waiting for them to give an update on the lead seal that was found near the end of last season, but it has not mentioned at all this year. See: Oak Island Lead Seal Thoughts
The preview for the next episode shows more excitement of finds in the drilling program, including some more evidence of gold. Definitely some interesting things to come.
Steven