#20. Rick And Marty Lagina
Meet Rick and Marty Lagina, two brothers from Michigan who grew up to become one of the world’s most famous treasure hunters. When Rick was 11 years old, he read an article about Oak Island on Reader’s Digest and read it out load to his brother Marty.
It appeared to be that this remote privately-owned island in Nova Scotia, Canada, was home to a hidden treasure that no-one had ever seen. What is more, the island was thought to be cursed. As soon as he finished reading the article, Rick became obsessed with this secret location, and his dream of becoming a treasure hunter began.
#19. Childhood Dream
A couple of months later, Rick made his first discovery back in his hometown in Michigan, USA. As he was roaming through a field in the suburbs of his hometown, he discovered a large granite boulder. He was so desperate to find out what was under the granite rock that he went back home to find his brother and ask him for help.
The following day, he went back to the same site, but this time with his brother Marty and a few of his friends. Even though they didn’t find a thing underneath the boulder, this adventure marked the beginning of an exciting journey that nobody would ever stop.
#18. Myths And Legends
After his first adventure, Rich and Marty began looking for more information about Oak Island, the one they had read in Reader’s Digest. And the more they read, the more they wanted to explore the island on their own. Apparently, there were lots of theories regarding the treasures hidden on the island.
According to one of these theories, buried in the island were treasures that once belonged to King Solomon. Other theories suggested that Francis Bacon once hid Shakespearean manuscripts beneath the ground with secret codes inside. But according to the most bizarre of all the theories out there, Marie Antoinette had instructed her maid to flee with her jewels once the French Revolution started. Apparently, the maid ended up in Nova Scotia and the Franch Army built a pit to help her hide Marie’s treasures.
#17. A Pirate Chest
There’s another crazy theory that claims Captain Kidd buried his treasures on this island. In fact, legend has it that Kidd’s crew was seen several times on Oak Island burying chests filled with gold. According to another legend, in the 19th century, explorers found two chests filled with coins but the chests went missing and no one knows what happened to them.
Another pirate theory involves Blackbeard, who supposedly buried a treasure on the island as well. But according to this myth, Blackbeard hid the treasure “where none but Satan and myself can find it”. The truth was that Rick and Marty did not know which theory to believe, but they were definitely excited at the thought of finding a chest filled with coins or anything of that matter!
#16. Treasure Hunters
Ever since they heard of the existence of Oak Island, Rick and Marty were thrilled at the idea of living off digging for gold coins and mysterious historical artifacts. But in 2005, once they were adults, they took things to the next level and set off to explore the island and discover the mysteries hiding in its depths.
To make this happen, they purchased a small section of Oak Island, and they set off to discover each and every one of its corners. Exploring the site on their own was kind of spooky since everybody believed the island to be cursed, but nothing could hold back their sense of curiosity.
#15. TV Stars
As the years went by, Rick and Marty’s adventures began to receive widespread media coverage and they eventually became famous throughout the country. In 2014, they started their own TV Show on History Channel, called The Curse of Oak Island.
Rick and Marty’s reality TV show documented their efforts in search of treasures and historical artifacts throughout Nova Scotia’s unexplored island. The series delves into the island’s history, the myths and theories involving it, and the recent attempts to investigate the site.
#14. The Cursed Island
According to many local legends, Oak Island hides a wide range of ancient artifacts that only the most skilled explorers and treasure hunters can find. The Lagina brothers found artifacts such as Portuguese carvings, Aztec handcrafts, and even Roman swords. How did these treasures end up in such a remote place?
Despite all of these amazing findings, one secret was yet to be discovered. Legend has it that the island’s most valuable treasure was buried in a place called The Money Pit, a 118-feet-deep hole, but when the Lagina brothers first discovered this pit, it was filled with water.
#13. The Money Pit
Obviously, the Lagina brothers were dying to see what lay beneath the Money Pit. With the help from their friends David Blankenship and Craig Tester, they put together an experienced team and explore this fascinating site. But Rick and Marty weren’t the first brave ones to ever set on this journey.
The Money Pit was first discovered in 1795 by the European explorer Daniel McGinnis. Right above this circular depression was an old ship’s block hanging from an oak branch. McGinnis suspected that there was a treasure buried beneath the pit and began digging. He found nothing, but 8 years later, a spine-chilling discovery was made on that same site.
#12. The Treasure’s Curse
In 1803, the Onslow Company discovered a stone tablet with a rare inscription on it right next to the pit, and the words read “Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried”. However, the mystery doesn’t stop there.
According to the legend, seven people must die before Oak Island gives up the treasure. By the time the Lagina brothers set off to explore the island, six people had already died in their quest for the hidden fortune, so whose turn was it now? Of course, this didn’t stop these brothers from pursuing their dream, so on they went in search of the pit to break the curse. Keep on reading to find out what they discovered!
#11. Spanish Copper
The first season of The Curse of Oak Island narrates Rick and Marty’s first mission in search of the pit. They came across their first significant discovery on their very first day, on their way to the pit. After digging near an oak tree for a couple of hours, they found a 17th-century Spanish copper coin along with other antique objects. This proved that people had visited the island centuries before McGinnis first set foot on the island.
But this discovery wasn’t enough. These brothers wanted to find the real treasure, the one that would change their lives forever. But to achieve their aim, they brought in some experts who could help them drain the soil because most of the island was covered by a dense layer of mud and water.
#10. Getting Closer
After unearthing these coins, it took quite a while for Rick and Marty to make another finding. In fact, they barely made any discoveries throughout the second and third seasons of the show. The truth is that they had never expected their hunt to be so complicated, but never did they think about giving up. It’s a fact, if anyone was ever going to solve the mystery behind the island, it was the Lagina brothers.
Despite the long wait, their persistence finally paid off, since they eventually unearthed a Roman sword as well as other objects linked to the Aztecs and the Portuguese. But now, it was time to explore the famous Money Pit.
#9. The Roman Sword
It wasn’t until the third season of their show that the brothers reached the Money Pit. First, Daniel Blakenship and his team dug a 235-feet-deep hole next to the pit, and they spent several days trying to drain it. Once the water was drained, they continued digging, and here’s where the adventure really began.
While they were draining the shaft, they found an ancient Roman sword. This discovery indicated that they were on the right path. They also found a series of carvings and other artifacts, so Rick and Marty were more optimistic than ever.
#8. Treasure Map
By Season Four, things started to get really interesting. It happens to be that they discovered a handmade copy of a French map of Oak Island, dating back to 1647. Would this map help the brothers explore the island even further and guide them to the treasure? Only time would tell.
This map revealed the location of a hatch, valve, and anchor that suggested the treasure came from Africa. Thanks to the information on this map, the brothers were now a step closer to finding the treasure.
#7. The Money Pit
After finding this map and after three years of digging, the Lagina brothers returned to the Money Pit, hoping to find something more revealing. They came across a material that seemed to be part of a book, which led them to believe they could find important manuscripts or some sort of documents at the depths of the pit.
But how would they reach the very bottom of the hole? Craig Tester suggested that freezing the Money Pit could make excavations easier, but they were forced to discard this method as it would be really expensive.
#6. Bones
After a few days of digging, and during the beginning of Season 5, the Lagina brothers made a spine-chilling discovery: they found old human bones buried in the depths of the pit. The team believed that the bones were over 500 years old, which proved that people had begun exploring the island even earlier than when they believed.
After this finding, Rick, Marty, and their team took the bones to St. Mary’s University in Halifax to find out whether they were human or not. They needed help from professionals since archaeology was not their field of expertise.
#5. The Right Path
The Biology Department from St. Mary’s University tested them and confirmed that they were indeed human bones. After further testing, they found out that one of the bones was European while another one was Middle Eastern.
Even though this was an impressive discovery, the brothers were going to uncover another object very near the pit. However, this new discovery would surprise the world and change their lives forever. Keep on reading to discover what it was!
#4. An Ancient Cross
During the middle of Season 5, while the Laginas were digging in a site known as the Smith’s Cove, they stumbled across something truly incredible. The team found a small cross. But it wasn’t an ordinary cross, as this one was thought to belong to the Medieval era. Without a doubt, it was the most ancient object ever found in Oak Island.
It turns out that this object was a Knights Templar cross. According to the metal detecting expert Gary Drayton, it could be traced back to sometime between 1200 and 1600. However, the Knights Templar was a Catholic medieval military order based in the Middle East. How did they make it all the way to Oak Island, Nova Scotia?
#3. Templar Tablet
Another incredible artifact that the Laginas were able to find was a Templar tablet. This amazing discovery encourages the theory that the Money Pit has always been a hiding place for the Knights Templar’s Lost Treasure and that the Holy Grail or the Ark Of The Covenant lies buried in the pit.
What if the island also contained sacred relics and gold that once belonged to the Templars? According to Rick and Marty, their most recent discoveries could be proof that the Knight Templars had actually brought their treasures to Oak Island.
#2. Medieval Cross
Throughout the reality show’s five seasons and 85 episodes, Rick, Marty, and their team unearthed nearly 600 valuable items, but none was as important as the medieval cross. This discovery allowed people to gain insight not only on the history of the island but on the history of the world.
Despite the assumption that the cross probably has connections to the Knights Templar, historian Zena Halpern said that the object might not really be a cross, as it could be a little sculpture of Tanit, the Phoenician goddess of fertility and love. She believes that the Middle Eastern bone and this cross might be connected.
#1. More To Come
With so many valuable discoveries on their hands, Rick and Marty are still looking for the hidden treasure and they believe there are more secrets to uncover. In fact, Season 6 has proven to be filled with lots of groundbreaking leads.
Rick and Marty are confident that they’ll soon discover something amazing. We must give them a leap of faith, as nobody has ever been so close to breaking the curse of the island and uncovering its real treasures.