Season 4

[Stretch Da Truth]

The sad thing is that we have better finds listed on this site daily than this entire show has produced in its entire run.

You are 100% correct with that post. Other than the couple times earlier when Gary found some cool coins, they have found nothing of interest or value.
They even brought in a new "Professional" to look over the finds. Why did they wait so long?

We had people who were qualified in old jewelry say the cross wasn't that old and a lot of people agree the spike looked like it came from a railroad. Guess we will take the Doc's word.... she is a pro.

I was a bit disappointed they just gave up again. They seem to do that a lot on this show. You remember that old saying? "When the going gets tough... the OI crew go home"

 

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[n2mini]

Are you talking of the internet experts watching a TV show and examining everything thru a 50'' TV screen. Not sure I'd call that an expert evaluation on anything... Where is everybody on here that said the cross was made this century and the loop was added maybe last week? Sure just because it's old and does fall within the right time frame doesn't mean it was found on OI... No one on here this morning is talking about it since what they claimed apparently is not true.. I'm not sure who that lady expert is and what her experience is to make her qualified to make the time frame statement but she did...

 

[Mike Mercury]

The downright scary part is something I just read... "...Everyone knows that there is NO CONTRACT for a 5th season right?? There's a 95% chance that tonight is the last show EVER..."

I feel so used!

Due to my involvement in a car group - I got to know one of the people on a reality show (it's one of those family business type series). At least with their show ... the next seasons contract was never inked right at he end of the filming of a seasons episodes. The production company and network wanted to analyze the initial ratings of the first few aired episodes before committing to a next season.

 

[Stretch Da Truth]

Are you talking of the internet experts watching a TV show and examining everything thru a 50'' TV screen. Not sure I'd call that an expert evaluation on anything... Where is everybody on here that said the cross was made this century and the loop was added maybe last week? Sure just because it's old and does fall within the right time frame doesn't mean it was found on OI... No one on here this morning is talking about it since what they claimed apparently is not true.. I'm not sure who that lady expert is and what her experience is to make her qualified to make the time frame statement but she did...

Not sure of their qualifications but you have read similar posts I take it. We will have to see if they chime in with a post or not.

 

[Montclaire]

I think you have to take the gold cross with a huge grain of salt - no way to prove chain of custody at this point, and no other "treasure" from OI to link it to. I would have to imagine that if the deck spike is indeed Spanish, tests of the metallurgy compared to other known Spanish-made spikes should be able to reasonably prove where it originated. They are supposed to delve into the science of the dig next week so maybe testing has already been done and this will be revealed.

The metal plating is probably not original MP, my guess would be attempts by early searchers to shore up an unstable shaft. Hex nuts are more rare the further back you go, but they would not necessarily rule anything out, although you would have to prove early use by whatever peoples you hypothesize were on the island. I think just throwing "treasure chest" out there hurt her credibility with me greatly - there was zero proof of that.

My gut instinct from the beginning was that early travelers to the island, for whatever reason, probably took advantage of natural geologic features, mildly working them to their advantage. There is a similar case a few miles from me, where a glacial void was repurposed as an air shaft in the 1880s. Without knowing the history, I am sure that wild theories would crop up about that area, too.

In any event, I will wait until next week to see what they have to say as far as carbon dating and other tests before I make any more calls on what I think is on target and what is not. I would like to see them get a camera down GAL-1, and I think the swamp could probably be investigated without costing a fortune (personally, I would have started there, along with a heavy sweep of the entire island by metal detector). I also think that anything left to discover (not treasure but evidence of pre-1800 man manipulating the island) will be found much closer to the surface.

 

[Bud Aurum]

Between that & the misidentification of the obvious "Railroad Spike" ,
I'm done with the Oak island joke.

hopefully Snake Island gets renewed.I'll wait for that.


Have fun !

Hey Jeff, are you still committed to the railroad spike theory even though the "Antiquities expert", Dr. Loriverderame stated it to be a rod iron spike or iron nail for a Spanish Galion ship dating 1575-1600.

Your Bud Aurum

 

[GarageSaleKing]

The show said the lady was from Penn State. If she teaches antiquities at Penn State, she would not want to ruin her reputation for something that she does not believe. The real find was the large piece of metal. If she is right and it is from 1650 to 1800, then how did that get down that far? There was nobody digging there that far down before 1800. It that metal date is correct, there was or is something there. I will watch another season next year.

 

[jeff of pa]

Hey Jeff, are you still committed to the railroad spike theory even though the "Antiquities expert", Dr. Loriverderame stated it to be a rod iron spike or iron nail for a Spanish Galion ship dating 1575-1600.

Your Bud Aurum

in My View it's a Railroad spike.

even the top is Curved & offset like a RR Spike.

Not Flat like a ships Nail.

Penn State is a Joke imo.
Especially after the misidentification of a RR Spike

 

[OldWest]

Dr. Lori Verderame has quite a number of credentials on Wiki. She has a tremendous knowledge of period design if nothing else.

 

[n2mini]

Funny how every nay sayer wants, dates, expert examination, something, and then when it is presented, they all say well that's a lie, I don't believe them, they'er getting paid etc etc..

 

[alec]

I have to agree there. All of the naysayers pop up with it was planted, could have fallen in the hole, expert? what expert? the college she is from is a joke, yada, yada, yada.

The naysayers are ASSUMING these things with no real facts to go on yet they chastise the believers when they quote or point to the expert evaluations for not having proof. I think at this point the burden of proof is on the naysayers to prove that the expert is wrong, things were planted, they fell in the hole, etc. You can't just assume these things as facts just because you don't want to believe.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Do you know who she works for? The History Channel.

Dr. Lori | Ph.D. Antiques Appraiser | History channel

She graduated from Penn State with a Ph.D in Art History.

 

[alec]

Do you know who she works for? The History Channel.

Dr. Lori | Ph.D. Antiques Appraiser | History channel

She graduated from Penn State with a Ph.D in Art History.

Does that automatically mean she's wrong? Sure, with the History Channel's history it would make her suspect but that doesn't mean she's wrong. Everybody on the show works for the history channel in one way or another. Does that mean the carbon dating is wrong? Is every bit of information brought out on the show wrong?

I think the naysayers don't want to believe, even if there was never a treasure there something was going on but they won't (or can't) even acknowledge that because their minds aren't open to anything but what they think they already know.

 

[Dbuck]

I have to agree there. All of the naysayers pop up with it was planted, could have fallen in the hole, expert? what expert? the college she is from is a joke, yada, yada, yada.

The naysayers are ASSUMING these things with no real facts to go on yet they chastise the believers when they quote or point to the expert evaluations for not having proof. I think at this point the burden of proof is on the naysayers to prove that the expert is wrong, things were planted, they fell in the hole, etc. You can't just assume these things as facts just because you don't want to believe.

I agree with this. The naysayers are being rediculous claiming that these things somehow fell into the hole. It doesn't matter how many experts are brought in, some people will not claim they are wrong. Everyone who claimed they found a railroad spike were incorrect. All the objects analyzed were found at a deep level are turning out to be dated to he late 1600s to early 1700s. Charlie P can attempt to discredit the expert, but I am going to believe the PhD over others here. She was very professional. When she was not initially sure, she went back and did her research and probably spoke with other colleagues before making a determination. I hope they do another show. At a minimum I hope the brothers and their team return to do more searching.

 

[Raparee]

I have to agree there. All of the naysayers pop up with it was planted, could have fallen in the hole, expert? what expert? the college she is from is a joke, yada, yada, yada.

The naysayers are ASSUMING these things with no real facts to go on yet they chastise the believers when they quote or point to the expert evaluations for not having proof. I think at this point the burden of proof is on the naysayers to prove that the expert is wrong, things were planted, they fell in the hole, etc. You can't just assume these things as facts just because you don't want to believe.

There is some frustration being expressed today by some of the local historians about some of the evaluations of the items found on OI this year. One of these historians, who I believe has been on the show, and has actually handled these finds, mentioned something interesting about the spike that was fund in the swamp. The 'expert' that was on the show (I haven't seen the final episode, so I don't now if it is the same person that evaluated the cross) claimed that it was from a Spanish galleon. This historian stated that they had the spike tested via mass spectrometry, which indicated that it was modern.

I'll let you decide for yourself why the show decided to ignore the science.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Not necessarily wrong. Just very biased.

If the button was British Military it would be known to collectors. Someone here could identify it in the "What Is It" forum in a day.

Did she show an example a bracket similar to the one found in use in a chest of known age? I could not find any similar image on the Interweb looking at old chests and storage lockers.

Did we get unbiased second opinions?

The Cross perhaps she is qualified to authenticate. The cross was brought TO Oak Island a few years ago by someone who has a family connection to the island. Perhaps it was found there.

And that looked an awful lot like a railroad spike to me. I've seen dozens. There are a dozen in my barn right now that look identical.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

When she was not initially sure, she went back and did her research and probably spoke with other colleagues before making a determination.

Chumley from Pawn Stars?

 

[Montclaire]

Even if it is a "railroad" spike, that don't mean it isn't old. Rail was also used in mining (odd to find a spike but no rail, though). Again, hoping to see some science next Tuesday.

 

[alec]

There is some frustration being expressed today by some of the local historians about some of the evaluations of the items found on OI this year. One of these historians, who I believe has been on the show, and has actually handled these finds, mentioned something interesting about the spike that was fund in the swamp. The 'expert' that was on the show (I haven't seen the final episode, so I don't now if it is the same person that evaluated the cross) claimed that it was from a Spanish galleon. This historian stated that they had the spike tested via mass spectrometry, which indicated that it was modern.

I'll let you decide for yourself why the show decided to ignore the science.

Do you have a copy of that mass spec test or is this some of that internet myth stuff? Do you know what school the "historian" went to? What they have a degree in? Why isn't this published some place? Let see the proof!!

Anything sounding familiar??

 

[Raparee]

Do you have a copy of that mass spec test or is this some of that internet myth stuff? Do you know what school the "historian" went to? What they have a degree in? Why isn't this published some place? Let see the proof!!

Anything sounding familiar??

I'm sure it will come out once the non disclosure agreements are no longer binding.