The Lagina brothers returned to Nova Scotia’s infamous shores with renewed determination and heavier machinery in The Curse of Oak Island Season 5, a chapter that significantly raised the stakes for history’s longest-running treasure hunt. Premiering in late 2017, this season marked a important shift from exploratory drilling to large-scale industrial excavation, driven by tantalizing scientific data suggesting the Money Pit area held secrets far older and more complex than previously imagined. Rick and Marty Lagina, alongside their partners Craig Tester, Jack Begley, and the ever-colorful Dan Blankenship, faced flooding tunnels, collapsing shafts, and the ever-present "curse" that has guarded the island’s mysteries for over two centuries.
The Strategic Shift: Operation Big Dig
Season 5 opened with a clear strategic mandate: stop chasing shadows and start moving earth on a massive scale. Previous seasons relied heavily on core sampling and limited shaft sinking, but the data accumulated—specifically the discovery of the "H8" anomaly and compelling wood fragments at depth—convinced the team that the original Money Pit location required a forensic approach. The centerpiece of this strategy was the hiring of the Becker Hammer Drill and, eventually, the massive Caisson drilling operation.
The goal was ambitious: sink a series of intersecting caissons (large, watertight retaining structures) to create a cofferdam-like workspace deep underground. This would allow the team to bypass the notorious flood tunnels—Smith’s Cove and the box drains—that had defeated treasure hunters since the Onslow Company in 1804. The engineering challenge was immense; the island’s geology consists of glacial till, clay, and bedrock riddled with natural voids, making stability a constant nightmare.
The H8 Target and the "Chappell Vault" Legacy
Much of the season’s narrative tension revolved around the H8 target, a specific coordinate identified through historical research and modern seismic scanning. This location aligned with the legendary "Chappell Vault," a cement-encased chamber allegedly struck by the 1897 Oak Island Treasure Company drill. William Chappell’s drill brought up fragments of parchment, gold links, and cement—artifacts that have fueled speculation for over a century.
In Season 5, the team drilled aggressively into H8. The results were frustratingly familiar yet scientifically intriguing. That's why they encountered wood at significant depths (roughly 160–170 feet), consistent with the 1897 reports of "oak platforms" and "cement vaults. " Still, the wood samples sent for carbon dating returned dates ranging from the late 17th century to the early 18th century. While this predated the 1795 discovery of the Money Pit by Daniel McGinnis, it complicated the narrative: was this original workings, or debris from previous searcher shafts collapsing? The ambiguity became a recurring theme—every answer birthed two new questions.
No fluff here — just what actually works And that's really what it comes down to..
Smith’s Cove: The Engineering Battlefield
If the Money Pit was the heart, Smith’s Cove was the battlefield where the war against water was waged. In practice, season 5 dedicated enormous resources to exposing the "U-shaped structure" and the box drains first discovered in the 19th century and re-exposed by the Laginas in Season 4. The team brought in heavy excavators to strip away the beach sand and clay, revealing a complex, engineered wooden structure composed of flat stones and coconut fiber—material not native to Nova Scotia.
The discovery of coconut fiber in massive quantities remains one of the show's most compelling anomalies. In Season 5, the team mapped the extent of the finger drains feeding the flood tunnel, confirming the sophisticated hydraulic engineering designed to flood the Money Pit. In practice, carbon dating on the fiber consistently places it in the 13th to 14th century, centuries before European settlement. The excavation yielded a lead cross (found by Gary Drayton metal detecting on the spoils) and a rhomboid-shaped metal object, adding layers of human activity to the site long before the "treasure hunt" began. The cove excavation proved the flood tunnel was not a natural phenomenon but a deliberate, high-skill construction project.
The War Room: Theory Meets Data
Season 5 expanded the role of the "War Room" sessions, where the team consulted with a rotating cast of experts: geologists, archaeologists, historians, and theorists. These segments provided the intellectual framework for the physical dig. Notable discussions included:
- The Knights Templar Theory: Continued exploration of the "Lead Cross" found in Season 4, analyzed by experts who noted its similarity to Templar iconography and potential connection to the Domme Prison graffiti in France.
- The Francis Bacon/Shakespeare Connection: Researchers like Petter Amundsen presented geometric ciphers allegedly hidden in Shakespeare’s First Folio pointing to Oak Island.
- The Aztec/Inca Gold Theory: The suggestion that the treasure originated from South America, hidden by Spanish sympathizers or fleeing Incas.
- The "Tar Kiln" Skepticism: Geologists frequently countered with the "industrial hypothesis," arguing the structures were remnants of 18th-century tar production or salt works for the British Navy.
These sessions highlighted the show's unique tension: the clash between romantic history and hard science. The team’s willingness to entertain fringe theories while demanding scientific proof (carbon dating, metallurgy, sonar) is the engine that drives the narrative forward Less friction, more output..
Key Discoveries and Artifacts
While the "Main Treasure" remained elusive, Season 5 produced a remarkable inventory of artifacts that rewrote the island's occupational history:
- The Lead Cross: Found at Smith’s Cove, metallurgical analysis suggested European origin, potentially pre-1500s. Its composition lacked modern additives, deepening the mystery of how it reached a Nova Scotian beach.
- The Rhomboid Object: A decorated metal piece found near the cross, suggesting ceremonial or decorative use rather than industrial.
- Human Bone Fragments: Recovered from the H8 spoils (specifically from the "GAL1" drill hole), DNA analysis revealed two distinct lineages: one European (Group H) and one Middle Eastern (Group T). This was a seismic moment, confirming human remains deep in the Money Pit area—likely from an accident or intentional burial centuries ago.
- The "Brodie" Spike: A large iron spike found in the U-shaped structure, consistent with 18th-century shipbuilding or heavy construction.
- Pottery Shards: Fragments of slipware and stoneware found across the island, helping date various occupation layers.
The Caisson Attempt and the Bedrock Barrier
The climax of the season centered on the Caisson Project. The team attempted to sink a 50-inch diameter steel caisson (CA1) near the H8 target, followed by a second (CA2) to create a combined workspace. The engineering was sound on paper, but the reality of Oak Island geology intervened. The caissons deviated off vertical, encountered impenetrable bedrock anomalies, and suffered from water infiltration that exceeded pumping capacity.
Not the most exciting part, but easily the most useful.
The most dramatic moment occurred when the drill bit shattered inside CA1, halting progress for weeks. When they finally retrieved the core barrel, they found wood fragments at 171 feet—deep in the bedrock zone. This suggested a man-made shaft or chamber below the bedrock surface, a concept that defies standard geological expectations unless the "bedrock" encountered was actually a massive, worked stone plug or a very hard clay layer (till) mistaken for rock That's the part that actually makes a difference..
The bottom line: the caisson operation was suspended due to winter and budget constraints, leaving the "Big Dig" incomplete. It was a sobering reminder that brute force engineering often fails against the island’s hydrology.
