Ancient Boulder May Hide Treasure Cache – Wool Fragment and Medieval Bag Seal Point to 700-Year-Old English Connection
The Lagina brothers, Rick and Marty, along with partner Craig Tester and the Oak Island team, have uncovered compelling new evidence on Lot 8 that could point to a deliberate hiding place for treasure dating back centuries. A massive boulder perched above a series of smaller, evenly spaced stones—clearly not a natural formation—has become the focal point of the investigation, with signs of human excavation and possible hidden cavities beneath.
A Boulder That Doesn’t Belong
The team began the day by examining a deep trench dug beneath the boulder, which was filled with rubble and revealed voids underneath. Using a snake camera, they spotted what appeared to be an iron spike and an object resembling a pearl. “That looks like there’s a pearl,” Rick Lagina exclaimed upon viewing the footage.
Geologist Ian Spooner confirmed the trench was man-made: “Somebody was trying to get underneath the rock with excavation.” Marty Lagina speculated the boulder might serve as a “plug” designed to conceal a cavity. “Somebody plugging something wasn’t a searcher,” he noted, emphasizing that the soil stains on nearby rocks suggest the structure has been in place for a very long time—possibly before the Money Pit was discovered in the late 1700s.
Recent weeks had already yielded promising finds near the site: links of chain potentially 500 years old and a 700-year-old English bag seal, adding weight to theories of medieval activity.
Heavy Lifting and Careful Excavation
To safely access the area, the team used an excavator to relocate several large boulders blocking the dig. Marty operated the machine with caution to avoid dislodging rocks into the trench. “I want to make sure I keep control of this situation,” he said.
Once the obstructing stones were moved, hand-digging began. Sifting through buckets of soil, Craig Tester discovered a shredded piece of red material embedded 18 inches below the surface, directly under one of the relocated boulders. “I see this material and, quickly in my mind, I see somebody trying to move these boulders and it scrapes and takes a part of their shirt or jacket,” Craig explained.
Archaeologist Laird Niven identified it as a possible textile and recommended bagging it for analysis. “If we determine it’s old, now that’s pretty significant,” he said.
Lab Analysis Reveals Wool and Medieval Ties
In the War Room lab, expert Emma analyzed the fabric using CT scanning, XRF, and a burn test. The CT scan revealed a weft knitting pattern—interlocking loops typical of handmade or early machine-made textiles. The burn test was decisive: the material burned slowly, clumped into an ashy texture, and was crushable—classic signs of wool.
The discovery gained even more significance when linked to the nearby bag seal, which bears a distinctive sheepskin symbol associated with Leeds, England—a major wool production center dating back to the 1300s. “This makes it all the more interesting,” Marty remarked. “Maybe it’s the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we might find under that boulder.”
The team plans further testing with knitting pattern and dye experts to narrow down the fabric’s age and origin. If confirmed as pre-1700s wool, the find would strongly suggest European activity on the island long before the Money Pit legend began.
Next Steps: Digging Deeper
The team remains cautiously optimistic. “We’ve got to dig deeper under it, as carefully as possible,” Rick Lagina told the group. Archaeologist Laird Niven will guide the hand excavation to preserve any potential artifacts.
Craig Tester summed up the group’s hopes: “My biggest hope is that we do find something significant under the boulder. But I’m hoping at least we find some sort of artifact to tell us who was there.”
As excavations continue, the boulder site on Lot 8 joins a growing list of clues—ancient chains, medieval seals, and now wool fabric—that challenge conventional timelines of Oak Island’s history. Could this be the entrance to a long-hidden cache, or evidence of early European trade or exploration?
The Lagina team’s methodical approach continues to yield results. Stay tuned for updates as the dig progresses.