Curse Of Oak Island Season 12 Episode 12: Multi-Layered Structure Found Beneath Oak Island’s Swamp

Hey guys, imagine this: centuries ago, a secretive group of treasure keepers—perhaps the Knights Templar, pirates, or an unknown order—desperately hid something of immense value deep beneath the surface of Oak Island. They didn’t just bury it; they engineered an intricate, multi-layered structure, a puzzle hidden beneath layers of mud, rock, and thyme. Fast forward to today, Rick and Marty Lagina’s team is closer than ever to uncovering a secret that could rewrite history. What if I told you that a jaw-dropping, man-made structure has just been unearthed in the swamp? And what if this discovery is more than just random planks and rocks? What if it’s a doorway to treasure?

Buckle up, because today we’re diving into The Curse of Oak Island, season 12, episode 12, where a new find shakes up everything we thought we knew about this mystery.

So here’s the deal: while investigating the northern region of the swamp, the team uncovered something completely unexpected. At first, it seemed like just another wooden board, but as they dug deeper, they realized they had stumbled upon multiple layers of deliberately placed wooden planks. This wasn’t some natural occurrence. Someone, at some point in history, put these boards here on purpose. Rick Lagina, ever the careful investigator, immediately suspected that this might not just be a survey marker. Could it be part of a structure built to conceal something of great value?

The deeper they dug, the more perplexing the find became. There was a second board beneath the first, and then another—a multiplicity of connected structures, as the team put it. What were these boards hiding, and more importantly, who put them there? At this point, the team knew they had to bring in reinforcements. Archaeologist Lar Nen was called in to examine the site. His expertise could determine whether these planks were from a modern construction or something dating back hundreds of years. But there was another expert whose input was absolutely critical: Dr. Ian Spooner, the team’s go-to geoscientist.

If this structure was ancient, carbon dating could prove it. Dr. Spooner wasted no time; he collected samples of the wooden planks for carbon dating—a test that could reveal just how old these materials really were. If they turned out to be from the 18th or 17th century—or dare we say even older—this could be a direct connection to Oak Island’s legendary treasure hunters, or even its original depositors.

Why is this so important? Because history tells us that The Money Pit wasn’t discovered until 1795. If this structure predates that, it could be evidence of secretive activity on Oak Island long before the known treasure hunters arrived. Could this be part of a hidden vault, a buried tunnel system, or even an undiscovered chamber? Rick and Marty aren’t just looking for gold and jewels; they’re chasing historical truth. They want to know who was here, why they built such elaborate constructions, and what exactly they were trying to hide.

And now, thanks to this latest find, they might be closer than ever to answering those questions. But that’s not the only discovery shaking things up. While the team was investigating the swamp, another dig was happening over on Lot 5. This area has already produced some astonishing finds, including Venetian trade beads, a 14th-century lead barter token, and even pottery from the 18th century. And here’s the kicker: Lot 5 is far away from The Money Pit. So why are so many valuable and historically significant artifacts turning up there?

Crate tester and archaeologists Fiona Steel and Moya McDonald were working on a large stone foundation near the shoreline. This structure, built with mortar that matches clay-like soils from over 100 feet deep in The Money Pit, could be evidence of ancient human activity. Some even speculate that it may have been built before The Money Pit was even discovered.

Think about that for a second: What if The Money Pit wasn’t the original target? What if Oak Island’s biggest secret has been hiding in plain sight on Lot 5 this entire time? Just when you thought this episode couldn’t get any more intense, the team unearthed another historical bombshell in the War Room. Historian Terry Devau, along with Doug Crowl and Judy Rud Bush, revealed something incredibly intriguing: a never-before-seen treasure map linked to early Oak Island searches.

The map, discovered in the archives of Connecticut-based historian William B. Goodwin, wasn’t just any map. It contained notations of three mysterious locations—all on the western side of the island, far from The Money Pit. According to Goodwin’s notes, these locations may have marked separate treasure caches.

Here’s where it gets crazy: if Goodwin’s research is correct, then Fred Nolan, one of Oak Island’s legendary treasure hunters, may have been right all along. Nolan always believed that multiple treasures were buried all across the island, not just in The Money Pit. And now, with this map as a guide, the team has three potential new targets to investigate. Gary Drayton, the metal detecting expert, couldn’t wait to get started. “Let’s get after it,” Marty Lagina said, as the team geared up to track down the map’s clues.

We can’t talk about Oak Island without addressing the Knights Templar theory. Over the years, evidence has emerged that suggests Templar activity in the area long before the discovery of The Money Pit in 1795. From the lead cross found at Smith’s Cove to the 14th-century lead barter token found on Lot 5, the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together. If the Templars or another secretive group built this structure, it could explain why it has remained hidden for so long. The Templars were known for their advanced engineering skills and intricate underground constructions, as seen in their fortresses across Europe and the Middle East. Could this multi-layered structure be part of an ancient Templar vault, designed to store something more valuable than gold? Perhaps sacred relics, lost manuscripts, or even historical evidence of their presence in North America.

If Dr. Spooner’s carbon dating results confirm that this structure predates known treasure hunters, it could be the most groundbreaking find in Oak Island’s history. The implications would be massive, potentially linking Oak Island to one of the most mysterious organizations in history. With so many exciting leads developing at once, the team is now facing a critical decision: where should they focus their efforts next? Should they continue excavating the swamp structure, risking damage to whatever lies beneath, or should they pursue the Goodwin map’s mysterious boulder markers on Lot 1?

Each path offers a tantalizing possibility, but resources are limited and winter is fast approaching. Marty and Rick Lagina have always emphasized following the clues wherever they lead, and this moment is no different. While the swamp discovery is undeniably thrilling, the potential for multiple treasure caches across the island means that the team must split their efforts wisely.

This delicate balance of excavation, research, and preservation makes the treasure hunt even more challenging—but also more rewarding. As Rick often says, Oak Island doesn’t give up its secrets easily. But after years of meticulous digging, analyzing, and theorizing, could the Lagina brothers finally be on the verge of a breakthrough that changes everything?

Let’s not forget a crucial point: If there really are multiple hidden caches, it’s possible that the treasure has been sitting under the team’s noses this entire time. The Goodwin map suggests that specific markers, large boulders, and underground clues were left behind to guide future seekers. But these clues have been ignored or misunderstood for over a century. Now that the team has this historical document in their hands, they may finally be able to decode Oak Island’s true treasure hiding system.

Perhaps the original depositors never intended for The Money Pit to be the ultimate prize. Instead, it could have been a decoy meant to throw off anyone who wasn’t in possession of the real map. If that’s the case, then this season of The Curse of Oak Island could go down in history as the one where the true treasure was finally located.

With modern technology, expert archaeologists, and a relentless determination, the team is closer than ever to solving the island’s greatest enigma. One question remains: Why did the original builders go to such great lengths to bury this structure under layers of wood and stone? One theory is that the swamp itself was artificially created to hide something. Over the years, researchers have proposed that Oak Island’s swamp is not a natural feature, but rather a manmade flood trap designed to keep intruders away from whatever secrets lie below. If this is true, then the multi-layered structure could be a key component of this complex defense system. Maybe the wooden planks were part of a tunnel or an ancient water diversion system meant to redirect floodwaters away from the treasure.

If so, the team may need to think strategically about how to excavate without triggering an unexpected collapse or flooding event. This could explain why past searchers have failed to retrieve the treasure. Maybe they’ve been digging in the wrong places—or worse, triggering the island’s built-in defenses without even realizing it.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Goodwin map is its mention of Lot 1, an area that was owned by Daniel McGinnis, one of the original discoverers of The Money Pit in 1795. Many have wondered why McGinnis chose to build his home on the opposite end of Oak Island, far from The Money Pit. Could it be that he knew something the rest of the world didn’t? If the Goodwin map is accurate, it’s possible that McGinnis’s land contained one of the real treasure caches. Maybe he kept this information secret, watching as other treasure hunters spent decades and millions of dollars searching in the wrong locations.

If the Lagina brothers can track down the boulders and landmarks indicated on the map, they might finally confirm what McGinnis suspected all along: that Oak Island’s treasure isn’t buried in just one spot, but scattered across multiple hidden vaults. If this theory holds, then this could be the biggest revelation in Oak Island’s history. A true game-changer that could rewrite everything we thought we knew about this legendary mystery.

With each passing episode, the evidence continues to mount. Oak Island is hiding something far bigger than we ever imagined. Whether it’s a Templar vault, a pirate treasure horde, or something even more mysterious, the pieces are finally starting to come together. The discovery of the multi-layered wooden structure in the swamp, combined with the historical Goodwin map, suggests that the team may be on the verge of unlocking the final chapter of the Oak Island mystery.

But will they have enough time, resources, and luck to crack the code before the season ends? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: The Curse of Oak Island is closer than ever to delivering the breakthrough we’ve all been waiting for.

Could this be the season where the Lagina brothers finally unearth the legendary treasure? Let us know in the comments what you think is really hidden on Oak Island. Subscribe for more updates and stay tuned, because history is about to be rewritten.

[Music]