There’s no doubt about it. This season of The Curse of Oak Island has taken a dramatic upswing. With discoveries of ancient human bone fragments of different global origins, small sections of leather book binding, and bits of porcelain far beneath the surface of the earth, fans can hardly wait to see what’s coming up next. The show took a break, with no episode aired on Boxing Day. One week without an episode is more than some can stand.
The most recent episode contained the biggest shock of all when Laird Niven, the show’s onsite archeologist, identified the bone sample. It was later verified as human at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Coupled with the small piece of verified book binding material, there’s even more possibility that there will be a connection to the Knights Templar, or some other highly significant historical figures. The thought that the Knights Templar may have used Oak Island as the resting place for treasure of money or literature is one of the most popular fan theories right now, and it’s been fueled with the most recent episode’s finds.
All of this is amazing stuff. For a long while, fans were convinced that the show would come up with bubkes. It’s almost been “nothing” for seasons. This is the reason why many stopped tuning in weekly. They would tune in for the season finale, expecting that anything of value would turn up then.
Astute fans, who’ve paid close attention as the random facts were repeated over and over again throughout the previous seasons, have started to keep a close eye on one particular theme. That theme is the story of Samuel Ball, the African slave who owned land on Oak Island at one time. Ball’s extant biography notes that he was born in South Carolina about 1864. He escaped the plantation and joined the British army. Ball was just a teenager when he fought against the soon to be United States of America. But, he became a free Black male under British protection when he joined forces with King’s army. John Murray, Governor of Virginia, in his 1775 proclamation at Kemp’s Landing, Virginia, that all Black males who did so would be free.
Here’s the deal about what some think about Samuel Ball. The show has presented the information that he became one of the richest men in Nova Scotia. How did a former Black slave do this in one lifetime? Could he have found the treasure and spent it? His descendent, F. Stanley Boyd is an African Canadian journalist. Boyd wrote blogs about his ancestor Samuel Ball, describing how Ball purchased 35 acres on the island, and then welcomed other Blacks to live there. At one time, there was a Ball Homestead on the island, and Ball petitioned the Canadian government to allow him to will his land to the Black people. Wouldn’t it be fascinating to discover that Ball found the treasure and used it to better generations of people?
On a completely different track, with the recent Oak Island discoveries, Rick and Marty Lagina have a lot of possibilities they’re considering. They realize, along with the show’s producers, that many fans are completely invested in any Templar connections that prove true. There’s plenty of speculation that the Lagina brothers are Freemasons, but they’re either not, or have not made it public. One of their team is. Charles Barkhouse is part of the Masonic order, and according to the James Wray interview on Monsters & Critics, Barkhouse has “recently advanced to the Knights Templar level” within the order.
For certain, when the show returns on January 2, with Episode 8, “Dan’s Breakthrough”, the episode will be the half-way point for the show. There were 16 episodes created for this season. Since it’s been confirmed that Europeans spent time on the island a long time before 1795, the year the first Money Pit was discovered, there will be a strong focus on the research about the Knights Templar and their connection to the island. It’s also certain that the team will begin to drill down into the now-famous H-8 borehole to explore it with an enormous caisson. H-8 has produced the intriguing bits of bone, bookbinding leather, and china. It’s the spot to dig down next.
Rick Lagina has already voiced concerns about damaging anything remaining of value in H-8, but that may be the price of the work. The producers acknowledge that the Lagina’s treasure hunt will continue as long as they wish to continue. Let’s hope that all the money and effort will result in something completely unexpected. Wouldn’t that be fun?
Follow Us
