CALUMNY Of OAK Island

Oak Island is a small island off the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.

 

Despite only being three quarters of a mile long and containing just two permanent homes,

 

the island has gained a lot of infamy.

 

Since the late 18th century, archaeologists have uncovered many intriguing artifacts on 

 

 

Oak Island, from coins to tools.

 

However, accidents and natural disasters often caused excavations to be abandoned, before

 

the full extent of the island's secrets could be uncovered. Six people were even killed

 

during investigations.

 

This has led many to speculate that there could be something incredible hidden on the

 

island... something protected by booby-traps, or possibly even a powerful curse, causing

 

these mysterious tragedies.

 

In 1795, Daniel McGinnis discovered a large circular depression in the ground on the southeastern

 

side of the island.

 

When he investigated the ground, McGinnis and his friends noticed something extremely

 

odd. Approximately every 3 meters below the surface, they came across a layer of oak logs,

 

lying across the pit. Nearby trees also looked as though they'd been cut, as if they'd

 

once been used as pulley systems.

 

From these discoveries, McGinnis inferred that someone had dug into the ground before.

 

Had someone been looking for something? Or was something buried there?

 

Oak Island has been sold and re-sold, with its purchasers determined to find out what

 

might be hidden beneath its soil. The original discovery site has been dubbed the Money

 

Pit', in reference to the hope that it could be home to a secret fortune.

 

Some excavations have proved promising. One uncovered a large stone, bearing symbols researchers

 

believe translate as 'forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried'. Others found

 

items such as parchments, 17th century coins and Victorian brooches. 

 

But it seems that investigations of the Money Pit are destined to go no further.

 

There have been over 12 attempts to explore, all of which have been plagued with disaster

 

and ill-fortune. Many digs have flooded and were forced to be abandoned.

 

In 1861, the Oak Island Association made an excavation attempt that came to an abrupt

 

halt when the bottom of the shaft collapsed. It's thought that this was a booby-trap,

 

designed to drop supposed treasure deeper beyond the surface if ever anyone came close

 

to retrieving it.

 

The island's first fatal accident saw a victim scalded to death when the boiler powering

 

his water pump exploded. Then a worker fell deep into the pit and died. Four more workers

 

perished in 1965, when poisonous fumes rose up from within.

 

These deaths have sparked rumours that the Money Pit is cursed, and that dark forces

 

are acting to prevent anyone from unlocking its secrets.

 

So, what could be so valuable that it would require such extreme safeguarding?

 

Notorious 17th century pirate - Captain William Kidd - was once quoted as saying that he had

 

hidden his fortune 'where none but Satan and myself can find it'.

 

In fact, there are reports from the time of pirate activity in the Nova Scotia area. This

 

has led theorists, such as engineer Gilbert Hedden, to suggest that Kidd hid his treasure

 

on Oak Island, protected by traps.

 

Alternatively, in 1953, Penn Leary put forward the idea that the Oak Island pit contains

 

secret manuscripts detailing William Shakespeare's true identity. Leary claims that the Bard's

 

masterpieces were really written by essayist Francis Bacon, and Oak Island is home to evidence

 

that proves it.

 

Connections between the pit and the Illuminati are also regularly made. Author Mark Finnan

 

pointed out how many of the treasure diggers were Freemasons. He suggested that they were

 

in possession of elite knowledge about the truth of the island.

 

But the speculations don't end there. Ideas of the secrets of Oak Island include Marie

 

Antoinette's hidden jewels, a sunken Viking ship, and even the Holy Grail.

 

Nevertheless, there are some who are sceptical about the potential of Oak Island.

 

Critic Joe Nickell argues that there isn't actually anything buried in the Money Pit.

 

Instead, he believes that it is a natural phenomenon, such as a sinkhole.

 

The peculiar depressions in the ground could have been caused by shifting debris and falling

 

trees, in such a way that could give the appearance of human interference.

 

And the artifacts discovered in and around the pit may be little more than remnants of

 

the hundreds of treasure hunters who have visited the island over the centuries.

 

However, there are still some aspects that don't add up, such as the ominous inscribed

 

stone.

 

With historic attempts to delve deeper into the Money Pit regularly ending in disaster,

 

perhaps archaeologists will never truly discover what lies at the heart

 

of Oak Island.