Review of Geotechnical and Archaeological Conditions at ...€¦ · Review of Geotechnical and...

1

Review of Geotechnical and Archaeological Investigations at the Money Pit, Oak Island, Nova Scotia

MoneyPit

Borehole10X

Smith’sCove

MoneyPit

Oak Island 1986

Presentation byLes MacPhie

SNC-Lavalin Inc., Montrealto

The Canadian Geotechnical Society

Western Quebec SectionMontreal Group

January 23, 2008

Oak Island 1992

WesternShore

2

Outline of Presentation

1. Introduction2. Historical Summary from 1795 to 19663. Geological, Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Conditions4. Archaeological Findings at Money Pit from 19675. Search by Ron Aston 1999 to 2001 (North Carolina)6. Search by Petter Amundsen 2003 (Norway)7. Main Theories8. Options for Future Exploration at the Money Pit9. Conclusions

3

Location of Oak Island, Nova Scotia

44.5º

4

Oak Island in the 1500s?

Oak Island?

Mahone Bay?

C: Raso(Cape Race Nfld)

44.5º

Bartolomeu Velho Map 1560 (Portuguese)

In the 1500s, during the Portuguese voyages of discovery, islands in the New World were seeded with livestock and crops to have fresh supplies for future voyages.(Vigneras 1973)

5

Oak Island Lot DistributionPresent Ownership (2007)Lot 5 – Robert YoungLots 9 to 12 and 14 – Fred NolanLot 13 – John JohnstonLot 23 – Dan and David BlankenshipLot 25 – Alan Kostrzewa (Michigan Group)Remaining 23 Lots – Dan Blankenship and

Michigan Group

The Treasure Trove License is in the possession of Oak Island Tours which is a Company formed by the Michigan Group.

6



7

The Beginning in 1795

1. Depression in Ground

2. Cut Limb with Rope Marks

3. Visions of Pirates and Treasure

8

Main Findings in 1795 by Three Boys and from 1804 to 1805 by the

Onslow Syndicate

1. In 1795 a depression in the ground was found beside a large oak tree.

2. Excavation to 25 feet in 1795 found flag stones and oak log platforms.

3. In 1804 the Onslow Syndicate excavated to 93 feet and found charcoal, putty, beach stones and coconut fibre.

4. At 93 feet depth the pit flooded to sea level and could not be bailed out.

5. In 1805 a second shaft adjacent to the Money Pit was excavated to 110 feet and was flooded.

Reconstructed Profile of Money Pit to 1804

9

Flooding of Second Shaft in 1805

10

Early Oak Island Digs 1850 - 1909

Sketch from Photo

11

Comparative Photos of Smith’s Cove1860s and about 1897

Smith’s CoveLooking toward

Isaac’s Point1860s

Smith’s CoveLooking toward

Isaac’s Pointabout 1897(R V Harris

1958 and 1967)

12

Photos of South Shore 1860s and Old Shaft

Money Pit Area from South Shore Cove 1860s

Smith’s House?Cellar to Smith’s House

Barn

1895 Sketch

Old Exploration Shaft South of Money Pit Area

Old Shaft

Old Shaft

13

Main Findings of the Truro Company

in 1849

1. In 1849 the Truro Company excavated the Money Pit to 86 feet and then the pit flooded to sea level.

2. Drilling with a pod auger found timber platforms and evidence of assumed coins in chests.

3. No materials were recovered from the zone of assumed coins.

14

Results of Exploration in a Cofferdam at Smith’s Coveby the Truro Company in 1850

8

9

Ref: Booklet – The Storyof Oak Island 1895

(Based on work by theTruro Company in 1850)

Water35 ft

No Water75 ft

Filter Bed and Drains•Sand and gravel•2” Coconut fibre•5” Eel grass•Beach stones•5 box drains

Flood Tunnel(filled with

beach stones)

Cutaway View

Plan

500 feet

MoneyPit

Cofferdam Reasons for Cofferdam1. Realized Money Pit contained salt water 2. Water draining out of tidal zone at low tide3. Boulders removed over 145 feet along shoreline of Smith’s Cove

15

The Oak Island Association 1861 to 1864The Halifax Company 1866 to 1867

1. The Oak Island Association tried to approach the assumed chests at 100 to 105 feet by offset shaft and lateral tunnel. The resulting undermining caused a major collapse of the platforms and assumedchests in 1861.

2. The Halifax Company carried out extensive tunnelling and constructed a cofferdam at Smith’s Cove to block the flood tunnel.

A Halifax Company Tunnel Constructed in 1866/67and Explored in 1963 Ref: Lamb 2006

Collapse of AssumedChests in 1861

16

Frederick Leander Blair, Ahmerst, N SInvolved from 1897 to 1951

17

Results of Drilling by the Oak Island Treasure Company in 1897

and Parchment Location

ParchmentRecovered

by Pod Augerat 155 Feet

13 Feet

13 Feet

ParchmentRecovered

During DrillingWithin Assumed

Cement Vault

1897Shaft

MoneyPit

18

Photo of Parchment Recovered by theOak Island Treasure Company in 1897

Parchment is 5/16 inches long

Photo from Triton Alliance

19

Flood Tunnel and Filter Bed Based on Workby the Oak Island Treasure Company in 1897

Ref: Booklet – History of Oak Island, Nova Scotia, and of the WorkDone There at Different Times to Recover Buried Treasure 1926

5 holes at 30 ft spacingand 5” diameter drilled

and blasted by OITC in 18975

432

1

Holes 1, 2, 4 and 5No water 90-95 ft50-75# dynamite

Hole 3 water at 80 ft160# dynamite

No reference to Shafts 4and 5 by Truro Co in 1850

Tunnel length shown as 460 feetand rise is about 10 to 15 feet

20

Flood Tunnel and Filter Bed ProfileRevised Interpretation of Evidence

Water 80 ftHole 3 ?

(1926 Booklet)

No Water 90-95 ftHoles 1,2, 4 and 5

(1926 Booklet)

No Water 75 ftShaft 4

(Blair 1893)

Water 35 ftShaft 5

(Blair 1893)

Tunnel length about 520 feetand rise about 60 feet

(Projected fromMoney Pit)

21

Henry Bowdoin, Franklin Rooseveltand Others 1909

HenryBowdoin

FranklinRoosevelt

22

The Chappell Shaft in Progress 1931

ChappellShaft

12 X 14 Feet

23

Melbourne R. Chappell, Sydney, N SInvolved from 1897 to 1980 (Age 10 to 93)

24

Gilbert Hedden, Chatham, New Jersey

Involved from 1936 to 1937

Hedden Shaft12 X 24 Feet

Chappell Shaft12 X 14 Feet

Hedden ShaftHoist Section

1955

25

ProfessorErwin Hamilton

New YorkInvolved from1938 to 1942

Hamilton’s Work Crew 1942

26

Exploration at Money Pit from 1931 to 1941

Extended to 124 feetand drilled to 167 feet

1937

Extended to165 feet

Pick, Axe andAnchor Fluke

1931Hamilton explored

Chappell and HeddenShafts from

1938 to 1942

Chappell Shaft

Hedden Shaft

27

Findings in ChappellShaft in 1931 and

Hedden Shaft in 1937

127Feet

123Feet

116Feet

Deepest excavation In Money Pit priorto 1931 was to 108 feet in 1867 andto 114 feet in 1897

Assumed Fallen Chests (1861) and Cement Vault (1897)not found

Pick, Axe and Anchor FlukeFound in Chappell Shaft

(Photo from Triton Alliance)

28

Poll Pick Chappell Shaft 1931

Photos from Triton Alliance

29

Anglo American Felling Axe Chappell Shaft 1931

Photos from Triton Alliance

30

Anglo American Axes (1725 – 1800)

Ref: Ancient Carpenters’ Tools (Mercer 1975)

31

Robert Restall, Hamilton, OntInvolved from 1959 to 1965

Robert Restalland family

at Money Pit

32

Robert Dunfield, CaliforniaInvolved from 1965 to 1966

Robert Dunfield (right)in South Shore

Trench Nov 1965

33

Fred Nolan, Waverley, NSInvolved from 1959 to Present

Fred Nolan at his Joudrey’s Cove cottage

Nolan’s Brass Casting 11/4 Inches Long

34

David Tobias, Montreal, QueInvolved from 1966 to 2006

At BeckerDrill 1967

Scuba divingSmith’s Cove

1976

In theMontreal

Office1996

35

Dan Blankenship, Miami, FloridaInvolved 1967 to Present

Gardening on Oak Island 2005Working on churn drill at Money Pit 1977

36

David and Dan at the Bottom (180 feet)of Shaft 10X 1990

David Tobias Dan Blankenship

37



38

Bedrock Geology Western Mahone Bay

Ref: Giles 1981

Boundary ofWindsor Group and

Maguma Group

39

Geological Section ofOak Island

160 FeetGlacial

Till

200 FeetAnhydriteBedrock

MoneyPit

MegumaSlate

40

Surface Geology and Drumlins Western Mahone Bay

B A Y

Oak Island

Ref: Stae and Fowler 1981

Drumlins

Drumlins

41

Chart of Glacial Deposition in Nova Scotia

Phase 140-75 ka

Phase 221 ka

Phase 315-18 ka

Phase 412-13 ka

Ref: Stae 2004

Wood at 125 feet in Golder BH 202 Carbon Dated to 25 000 yrs BP

11.513

15.5

18

23.5

30

40

100

75

50

200

42

Land Submergence with Rise in

Sea Level

Mahone Baya Lagoon

Mahone BayConnected to Ocean

Mahone Bay

Ref: Daigle 2005

8000 yrs BPWL -30m

0 yrs BPWL 0m

6000 yrs BPWL -18m

Laurentian Channel

ContinentialShelf

43

Connection of Mahone Bay to Ocean6000 Years BP

Ref: Barnes and Piper 1978

18 m

44

Relative Sea Level Curve for Atlantic Canada

015 1020 5

Ref: Stae et al 2001

Lowstand about 70 m (230 feet) below present

sea level 12,000years ago

OriginalOak Island

Works

Lagoon in MahoneBay connected to

Ocean 6,000 yearsbefore present

( sea level –18m)

45

Effect of Glacier Flow on Drumlin Formation

Ref: Stae and Brown 1989

Phase 140-75 ka

Phase 221 ka

Phase 315-18 ka

Phase 412-13 ka

Ref: Eyles 1983

SE

SSE

46

Mutlibeam Bathymetry at Oak Island July 1996

muddysand

non-depositionalchannel

Ref: Fader and Courtney 1998

SE Phase 412-13 ka BP

SSE Phase 315-18 ka BP

Water Depthabout 30 feet

Smith’sCove

Boundary between muddy sand and gravel with boulders

47

Side Scan Survey by Dave Delaney Aug 05

20 Feet

48

Geological Profile at Money Pit and 10X

CompetentAnhydrite

Broken Anhydrite

MoneyPit

Stoney Till andLawrencetownTill 12-30 ka BP

10X

InterglacialDeposits

Wood at 125 feet in Golder BH 202 Carbon

Dated to 25 ka BP

Hartlen Till40-75 ka BP

Flood Tunnelat Money Pit

49

Geotechnical Programs

1. In 1969 Warnock Hersey put down 3 geotechnical holes in the Money Pit area and a number of archaeological holes.

2. In 1970 Golder Associates put down 4 geotechnical holes in the Money Pit area and 4 archaeological holes northeast of the Money Pit.

3. Archaeological holes were intended to investigate original workings and also provided geotechnical data.

4. Borehole depths at the Money Pit are with reference to existing ground surface which is about 10 feet lower than original ground surface.

50

Plan of Exploration Boreholes

Sect

ion

A-A

Section B-B

Photo Fence AroundMoney Pit

10X

10X

Geotechnical Holes

Archaeological Holes

Golder WH

51

Geotechnical Section A-A at Money Pit and 10X

MoneyPit

ClayeyTill

10X

Note:Historical shafts, tunnels anddrill holes are not shown

Broken Anhydrite Scenarios1. Fractured bedrock with cavities and soil infillings2. Huge anhydrite boulders in soil matrix

IntrerglacialClays and Silts Silty

Till

IN SANDLAYER

SANDLAYER

Competent Anhydrite

Broken Anhydrite

52

Geotechnical Section B-B at Money Pitand Dunfield Excavation

BrokenAnhydrite

MoneyPit

Note:Historical shafts, tunnels anddrill holes are not shown

DunfieldExcavation

HeddenShaftIntact

ChappellShaft

Collapsed

Photo

Dunfield Excavation 1965/66

ClayeyTill

SiltyTill

IntrerglacialClays and Silts

CompetentAnhydrite

53

Depth of Cavity/Soil Zones in Broken AnhydriteDepth of Cavity/Soil Zone Within Anhydrite (Feet)

HoleNo

Distance and Direction

from Money Pit (Feet) Cavity

Thicknessof Zone(Feet)

- 24

12

11

26

W6 120 SSW No cavities or soil zones encountered in broken anhydrite

W7 17 S 15 - - 180 - 209 29 9

Note: Twelve geotechnical and archaeological holes extended into the broken anhydrite. Eleven of the 12 holes encounteredcavity/soil zones in the broken anhydrite.

10X 176 NE 50 230 - 235 - - - 5 26

10

5

20

7

21

G204 267 NE 13 211 - 213 - 213 - 217217 – 236N=34-100

23 7

166 – 170

-

-

G101 73 S 53 - - -217 – 227

N>10023

G102 50 S 52 - - -214 – 219N=61, 58

22

G103 10 E 28 - -185 – 200Reworked

200 – 205N>100

43

G104 72 SSW 47 - - -209 – 216N=41, 67

36

G202 174 NE 43 - - 217 – 238 Ft 5

50 NE

61 NW

19 S

Cavity or Loose Soil Loose Soil Dense Soil

W1 20 181 - 186 186 – 195?195? – 204

N=5846

5 - 170 – 17870

Inc Soil Layer

8 - 186 - 197 51

W5 8 - 180 - 206 4

W3

Anhydrite Thickness

Below Zone (Feet)

Anhydrite Thickness

Above Zone (Feet)

54

Gradation of Overburden and Soil Infill in Anhydrite

Clay Layersin BrokenAnhydrite

Silty ClayOverburdenInterglacial

Deposit

Ref: Golder 1971

Silty TillOverburden

Silty Till Infillin BrokenAnhydrite

55

Key Results of Golder Hole G202Located 3 Feet West of Hole 10 June 1970

Dep

th -

Feet

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

60

100

140

180

220

20

Ref: Golder 1971

Bedrock 181

6” RotaryDrillingto 184

Metal at 150or Higher in

Rotary Drill Hole(Note 2)

Wood at 125 inRotary Drill Hole

(Note1)

Sound anhydrite 238.2 to end at 243.5

Log forBorehole

G202

Notes:1. Wood sample was carbon dated to 25,000 years BP (Terasmae 1970) and

was identified as Eastern Spruce (University of Toronto 1970).2. Metal was identified as iron which consisted of much siliceous replacement

material, the sample was of considerable age (Stelco 1970b – Nov 19).

Loose Zone125 to 130

One Inch

Wood

Metal

One Inch

Layers of soil and rock 212.2 to 228.0

Mean SeaLevel 43

GeotechnicalDrilling

184 to 243.5 GradationTests

Clay and glacial till 228.0 to 238.2

56

Gradation of Soils in Hole G202 - 228 to 238 Feet

Sym SA Depth Soil

21 228.5

230.5

232.5

236.5

237.5

Clay

22A Clay

23 Till

25 Till

26 Till

Ref: Golder 1971

57

Plan of Cross Hole Tomography Panel D

Panel D (7

0 Feet)

58

Profile of Tomography Results for Panel D

93-0493-03

MoneyPit

MoneyPit

Panel D

Tomography Data Ref: Platt 1995

59

Plan of Woods Hole Tidal Hydrogeology Testing in July 1995

Tidal LevelRecorded inMahone Bay

Water LevelRecorded in 10X

Good TidalResponse

Water Level Recorded inHole 93-03

Limited TidalResponse

Water LevelRecorded inTriton Shaft

No TidalResponse

The salinity of the groundwater inthe anhydrite is about 50 to 75 %

that of sea water

Ref: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 1996

60

Water Level Variation in 10X from Tidal Variation in Mahone Bay

Time Lag 1 Hour (Between Peaks)Ratio of Amplitudes = 0.43 (0.65/1.5)

Ref:Woods Hole OceanographicInstitution 1996(Measurements made in July 1995)

1.5 m

0.65 m

Time Lag 1 Hour

61

Water Level Variation in Coarse Rockfill Dump from Tidal Variation in Rupert Inlet

1000 m

60 m

Well W2

Well W2

Ref:BHP Billiton 2004

Flow reversals occurin the rock dump inphase with the tide

Section

62

Water Level in Rock Dump Well W2

-2.0

-1.0

0.0

1.0

2.0

30-Jun-01 01-Jul-01 02-Jul-01 03-Jul-01 04-Jul-01Date

Wat

er L

evel

(m

)

Water Level in Rupert Inlet

-2.0

-1.0

0.0

1.0

2.0

30-Jun-01 01-Jul-01 02-Jul-01 03-Jul-01 04-Jul-01Date

Wat

er L

evel

(m

)

Water Level Variation in Coarse Rockfill Dump from Tidal Variation in Rupert Inlet

Time Lag 1 Hour

3.4 m

2.3 m

Time Lag 1 Hour (Between Peaks)Ratio of Amplitudes = 0.68 (2.3/3.4)


Particle track for two tide cycles Particle track for two additional cycles

-1.0

0.0

1.0

2.0

-10 0 10Horizontal Distance (m)

Vert

ical

Dis

tanc

e (m

)

0 hr

5 hr

10 hr

15 hr 20 hr 24.8 hr

-5.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

-10 0 10Horizontal Distance (m)

Vert

ical

Dis

tanc

e (m

)

Particle Track El. –10 m at 100 m from Shoreline k (Coarse Rockfill) = 25 cm/s

Point A - Elevation – 10 m Natural Scale 1 : 250 Point A - Elevation – 10 m Exaggerated Vertical ScaleHoriz.: 1:250 Vert.: 1:50

-2.00 5 10 15 20 25

Time (hr)

Wat

er

-1.0

0.0

1.0

2.0

Lev

el in

Rup

ert I

nlet

(m)

Well # 6Well # 5

Well # 4

A

B

C

D

600 m100 m


Particle Movement20 m Horiz and 1 m Vert in 7 hours

7 hours

64

Lab Scale Testing of Anhydrite Solubility

360 mm(14 in)

36 mmDiameter(1.4 in)

2.5 mmDiameter Hole

Before Test

6 mmDiameter HoleAfter Test

Distilled waterflow at56 ml/day(2 fluid oz/day)for 44 days

36 mmDiameter

(1.4 in)

Sketch toScale

Ref:James andLupton 1978

65

Example Flow Systemthrough Anhydrite from Mahone Bay

to Money Pit and 10X

The flow system through anhydrite is activated by pumping at the Money Pit or 10X.

When there is no pumping the groundwater in the anhydrite is subject to flow reversals in phase with tidal variations.

Both of these water movementsystems result in dissolution of anhydrite and increasing permeability with time.

66



67

Becker Drill Setup 1967

Drive Pipe5.5” o. d.

Inside Pipe3” i. d.

68

Becker Drilling Program at Money Pit 1967

First 10 HolesFound Rock at

145 to 165 Feetas expected

11th HoleDeep Rock

200 Feet andOak Buds

1. The objective of the Becker drilling program was to drill through overburden to bedrock surface in search of the presumed treasure chests at 100 and 150 feet.

2. The first 10 holes extended to bedrock surface at depths of 145 to 165 feet.

3. The 11th hole (B11) extended to a depth of 200 feet before bedrock was encountered. Puddled clay was found from 184 to 200 feet and two oak buds were found embedded in the puddled clay at 196 feet.

4. This singular finding initiated the extension of all holes to 200 feet with the use of tricone drilling in bedrock.

5. 40 holes were drilled at the Money Pit from January to June 1967.

6. The drilling resulted in the major milestone of finding man made cavities in the bedrock at 200 feet and this was completely unexpected.

7. Lateral drift measurements were not made in the Becker holes but were made in 5 deep detection holes done in 1993

69

Lateral Drift in Deep Detection Holes 1993

Lateral Drift17 Feet over

263 Feet Depth

1. Five deep holes to about 250 feet were put down in 1993 for a geophysical detection program.

2. Lateral drift was measured in the 5 detection holes and in Hole B24/W8.

3. This provided an understanding of the importance of lateral drift which was not measured in the previous Becker Holes.

HoleNo.

Depth(Feet)

Lateral Drift (Feet)

93-01

93-02

93-03

93-04

93-05

B24/W8

240 2.6

240 1

263 17

240 6

225 14.5

190 15

93-01

B24/W8

93-03

93-05

93-04

93-02

Money Pit

70

Plan of Deep Rock Area at Money Pit

Holes W2 and W9probably drifted

laterally to the North

71

Pollen Count Results for Soil Samples from Broken Anhydrite 1970

Hole G102Sa 36 and 37

Glacial Soil214 to 219 Ft

Hole G103Sa 27 and 30Recent SoilInclusions

193 to 200 Ft

Hole G102Sa 36 and 37Glacial Soil

214 to 219 Ft

Hole G103Sa 27 and 30Recent SoilInclusions

193 to 200 Ft

Ref: Ritchie 1970In Hole 103 “the occurrence of aggregations of typical post-glacial and recent pollen types in addition to the ‘normal’ rare isolated pollen types (Carpinus, Ulmus) suggests strongly that recent or post-glacial material has been mixed secondarily with the primary matrix.”In Hole 102 “The macroscopic appearance of the matrix and the occurrence of isolated grains of Ulmus, Carpinus and Fagus is characteristic of glacial till.”

50 Ft

72

Pollen Count Samples from G102 and G103

G102Samples

36 and 37UndisturbedGlacial Soil

214 to 219 FtSa 36 N=61Sa 37 N=80

G103Samples

27 and 30Recent SoilInclusions

193 to 200 FtSa 27 N=24Sa 30 N=26

Ref: Golder 1971

73

Metal Fragments in Golder Borehole 201

Borehole 20126

0 Fe

etBorehole 10X

Money Pit

Ref: Golder 1971

Borehole 201Sample 1084.5 to 86.5 FtN = 121

Borehole 201Money Pit

2’ SandInclusion

with MetalFragments

Ref: Golder 1971

One Inch

Metal fragments are

friable wrought iron dating

prior to 1800(Stelco 1970b)

Metal fragments

found embedded in sand sample during sieve

analysis(Golder 1971)

12’ SandInclusion

74

Plan of Archaeological Sections at Money Pit

C

D

D

C

75

Archaeological Section C-C at Money Pit

CompetentAnhydrite

BrokenAnhydrite

BRASS FOILThe brass foil was likely made by the early process of adding charcoal and calamine to copper dating from the alchemist period to about 1850 (Stelco 1970a).

76

Archaeological Section D-D at Money Pit

CompetentAnhydrite

BrokenAnhydrite

77

Brass, Oak Budsand Charcoal in

Puddled Clay

Summary of Archaeological Features at Money Pit

(INFERRED CHAMBER)

/14

78



79

Plan of Ron Aston Search Area

Ron Aston Search Area

80

Ron Aston and Others 2001

JimHarvey

DavidTobias

RonAston

DavidTobias

MurrayMacPhie

81

Ron Aston Drilling Program August 2001

82

Boulder in Glacial Till Exposed by Aston 2001

83

Large Boulder at Shore

84


1. Introduction2. Historical Summary from 1795 to 19663. Geological, Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Conditions4. Archaeological findings at Money Pit from 19675. Search by Ron Aston 1999 to 2001 (North Carolina)6. Search by Petter Amundsen 2003 (Norway)7. Main Theories8. Options for Future Exploration at the Money Pit9. Conclusions

85

Happy Norwegians May 2003

Eric Hauan

Petter Amundsen

Tony Ronning

Sigbjorn Larsen

86

Plan of Petter Amundsen Search Area 2003

Petter Amundsen Search Area .

.. . .

..

282 Ft

141 Ft

Boulder cross foundby Fred Nolan in 1981

and made public in 1992

87

Kabalistic Tree of Life and Rosicrucian Cross

88

Boulder 282 Feet South of Cross

89

Boulders at Shore

90

Boulder 141 Feet South of Cross

Presumed primitivesun with radial lines

91



92

Knights Templar

93

Sir Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth 1Does the Queen have Drake's Missing Logs?

Sir Francis Drake 1540 - 1596 Queen Elizabeth I 1533 - 1603

94

Sir Francis Bacon and William ShakespeareThe Missing Original Manuscripts and

The Bacon-Shakespeare Authorship Controversy

Sir Francis Bacon1561 - 1626

William Shakespeare1564 - 1616

Shakespeare's First Folio1623

95

Spanish Galleon Lost at Sea

96

Portuguese Map of the New World 1560

Oak Island?

Mahone Bay?

C: Raso(Cape Race Nfld)

44.5º

Bartolomeu Velho Map 1560 (Portuguese)

In the 1500s, during the Portuguese voyages of discovery, islands in the New World were seeded with livestock and crops to have fresh supplies for future voyages.(Vigneras 1973)

97

Portuguese Flag Symbol from 1500sCompared to Engraved Hedden Stone

Portuguese Flag 1495 to 1577

Escutcheon(or Quina)

containing fiveBezants (white dots)

Four Portuguese Bezantsand central cross??

Engraved granite stone found by Hedden in 1936

98

Sinking of the Conceptión 1641

500 Peopleon board

200 PeopleSurvived

Ref: Bowden1996

(National Geographic)

99

Sir William Phips and Recovery of the Treasure from the Conceptión 1688/89

Ref: Bowden 1996 (National Geographic)

100

Treasure from the Conceptión (Leftovers)(Nuesta Señora de la pura y limpia Conceptión)

Articles recovered in 1978 by Burt WebberRef: Bowden 1996 (National Geographic)

101

Pirates

1883 2006

102

Theories - Who Buried What and When?Who What When

1. The KnightsTemplar

The treasure of the Knights Templar (The Holy Grail) 1300s to 1400s

2. Spanish Treasure from damaged Spanish Galleon which sunk on way home 1500s

3. Spanish Treasure stored on several occasions in underground vaults 1500s

7. French Treasure from French pay ship destined for Fortress Louisbourg Mid 1700s

4. Portuguese Treasure from the Azores Mid 1500s

5. Sir Francis Drake Plundered Spanish treasure Late 1500s

6. Sir Francis Bacon The original Shakespearean Manuscripts 1600s

8. Sir William Phips Treasure from the Spanish Galleon Conceptión sunk in 1641

Money Pit 1688-89Flood Tunnel 1752-54

9. Conspirators fromthe British Military

Spoils from the sack of Havana in 1762 Shortly after 1762

Note: Other less credible theories include Early Civilizations, Egyptians, Incas,Mayans, Aztecs, Mi’kmaq, Vikings, Acadians, Pirates and Aliens.

103



104

Options for Future Explorationat the Money Pit

1. Option 1Exploration boreholes with lateral drift measurements and downhole camera inspection to define the nature of man made workings and possibly to verify the presence of treasure and artifacts. If successful, this could lead to specific targets which could be accessed by a small diameter shaft.

2. Option 2Excavation of a deep shaft of sufficient diameter to enclose the zone of man made workings at 200 feet depth.

3. Other options for initial exploration could be considered but itis noted that geophysics, including ground penetrating radar, have not been successful.

105

Archaeological Criteria for Excavation by Large Diameter Shaft

Section

Assumed ShaftDiameter 70 feet

1. Excavation procedures should allow archaeological investigation as the shaft excavation proceeds. Nova Scotia regulations require that an archaeologist be present during the excavation.

2. The shaft diameter at bedrock surface should be of sufficient size to include the possible range of locations where the original Money Pit excavation extended below bedrock surface.

3. The shaft diameter at 200 feet depth should enclose a reasonable estimate of the lateral extent of the man-made chambers in bedrock.

4. Construction procedures should be available to allow excavation beyond the limits of the shaft so that possible tunnels to offset chambers can be explored.

Plan of Archaeological Featuresand Assumed Shaft

106

Summary of Geological, Geotechnical, Hydrogeological and Other Issues to Consider for

Deep Shaft Excavation at Money Pit

AssumedShaft

Diameter70 feet

1. Boulders in glacial till2. Open and soil filled cavities in broken

anhydrite3. Saline groundwater in anhydrite4. Cyclic groundwater movement in anhydrite

due to tides5. Very high permeability zones in broken

anhydrite6. Reworked soil zones resulting from events

such as collapse of the Money Pit in 1861 and the Dunfield excavation of 1965/66

7. The presence of timbers and debris from numerous previous shafts and tunnels in the area of the Money Pit

8. Steel casings and pipes remaining in the ground from previous drilling operations Section

107

Expected Outcome of a Shaft Excavationat the Money Pit

1. A shaft excavation to bedrock surface is expected to resolve thenature of the presumed chests with coins drilled at 100 feet in 1849 and 155 feet in 1897, and the parchment may be recovered.

2. A shaft excavation to 200 feet is expected to recover significant evidence (and possibly artifacts and treasure) which will result in:• An obvious solution to the mystery (possibly by recovery of the

parchment)• A solution determined in conjunction with related historical

and archaeological studies or verification• The Oak Island mystery is not resolved (very unlikely

outcome)

108



109

Do We Have Proof of Original Work and the Location of the Treasure at Oak Island According to the Criteria of Othello?

Othello: So prove it

That the probation leave no hinge nor loop

To hang a doubt on

“OTHELLO, The Moor of Venice” (Shakespeare)

110

Conclusions

1. There are chambers at 200 feet depth at the Money Pit. Possibilities:• The chambers were made and nothing was put in

them• The chambers were made, something of great

value was put in them and then taken away• The chambers were made, something of great

value was put in them and is still there

2. We don't know who did it or what is there, the mystery remains unsolved.

111

When Treasure is Recovered

Ref: David Tobias

112

References 1 of 31. Barnes, Neal E. and Piper, David J. W. 1978. Late Quaternary geological history of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, Vol.15, 1978, pages 586-593.

2. BHP Billiton 2004. Island Copper Mine, 2004 Closure Plan Addendum. Report prepared by Rescan, Geoconand SRK Consulting, September 2004.

3. Booklet, The Story of Oak Island 1895. Stoughton, Massachusetts: Record Publishing Co., 1895, 14 pages and two figures.

4. Booklet, History of Oak Island, and the Work Done There at Different Times to Recover Buried Treasure ca 1926. No Publication Information.

5. Bowden, Tracy 1996. Treasure From the Silver Bank, National Geographic, July 1996.

6. Daigle, Réal 2005. The Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Climate Change on Southeastern New Brunswick. Proceedings, Adapting to Climate Change in Canada, Ottawa, May 4, 2005.

7. Eyles N. (Ed) 1983. Glacial Geology: An Introduction for Engineers. Pergamon Press, 1983.

8. Fader, G.B.J., and Courtney, R.C. 1988. An Interpretation of Multibeam Bathymetry off Eastern Oak Island, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), Bedford Institute of Oceanography, issued April 1998.

9. Lamb, Lee 2006. Oak Island Obsession: The Restall Story. The Dundurn Group, Toronto, 2006, 242 pages.

10. Giles, P. S. 1981. The Windsor Group of the Mahone Bay Area, Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy, Paper 81-3, 1981.

11. Golder Associates, Subsurface Investigation, The Oak Island Exploration, Oak Island, Nova Scotia. Draft Report No. 69126 to Triton Alliance Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, April 28, 1971.

12. Harris, Reginald V. 1958. The Oak Island Mystery. The Ryerson Press, Toronto, June 1958, 211 pages.

13. Harris, Reginald V. 1967. The Oak Island Mystery. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Toronto, second edition, 1967, 209 pages.

113

References 2 of 314. James, A. N. and Lupton, A. R. R.1978. Gypsum and anhydrite in foundations of hydraulic structures.

Geotechnique, The Institution of Civil Engineers, London, Vol. 28, Sept. 1978, pages 249-272.

15. Mercer, Henry C. 1975. Ancient Carpenters' Tools: Together with Lumberman's, Joiners' and Cabinet Makers' Tools in Use in the Eighteenth Century. Horizon Press, Pennsylvania, published for the Bucks County Historical Society, Fifth Edition 1975, first published 1929.

16. Platt, Professor Gerhard R., Imperial College, Department of Geology, London, England, 1995. Re-Evaluation of Traveltimes for "Panel D" Tomographic Data (Crosshole Seismics at the Oak Island Money Pit). Report to Bob Atkinson, March 24, 1995.

17. Ritchie, J. C., Professor of Biology, 1970. Report on Palynological Analyses of Four (4) Samples from The Oak Island Exploration. Dalhousie University Project 69126, May 25, 1970.

18. Stea, Rudolph R. 2004. The Appalachian Glacier Complex in Maritime Canada. In Quaternary Glaciations –Extent and Chronology, Part II, Editors J. Ehlers and P. L. Gibbard, Elsevier B. V., 2004, pages 213-232.

19. Stea, R. R. and Fowler, J. H. 1981. Pleistocene Geology and Till Geochemistry of Central Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy, Map 81-1, 1981.

20. Stea, R. R. and Brown, Y. 1989. Variation in drumlin orientation, form and stratigraphy relating to successive ice flows in southern and central Nova Scotia, Sedimentary Geology, 62, 1989, pages 223-240.

21. Stea, Rudolph R, Fader, Gordon B. J., Scott, David B. and Wu, Patrick 2001. Glacial and relative sea-level change in Maritime Canada. In Deglacial History and Relative Sea-Level Changes: Northern New England and Adjacent Canada, Editors T. K. Weddle and M. J. Retelle, Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Special Paper 351, 2001, pages 35-49.

22. Stelco (The Steel Company of Canada), Hamilton, Ontario 1970a. Letter Report to Triton Alliance Ltd. by Allan B. Dove, Senior Development Metallurgist, dated August 22, 1970.

23. Stelco (The Steel Company of Canada), Hamilton, Ontario 1970b. Letter Report to Triton Alliance Ltd. by Allan B. Dove, Senior Development Metallurgist, dated November 19, 1970.

114

References 3 of 3

24. Terasmae, J. 1970. Department of Geological Sciences, Brock University, Letter to Kerry Ellard, Project Co-ordinator, The Oak Island Exploration, October 3, 1970.

25. University of Toronto 1970. Identification of Wood Species. Report by J. J. Balatinecz, Associate Professor, to H. Q. Golder & Associates Limited, July 8, 1970.

26. Vigneras, L.-A. 1973. The voyages of Diego and Manoel De Barcelos to Canada in the Sixteenth Century.Terrae Incognitae: The Annals of the Society for the History of Discoveries, Volume V, 1973, pp 61-64.

27. Warnock Hersey International Limited 1969. Soils Investigation, Oak Island, Nova Scotia. Report No. 530-110 to Carr & Donald & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, July 31, 1969 and November 5, 1969.

28. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Maine 1996. Oak Island Hydrogeology, Hydrographyand Nearshore Morphology, July - August 1995 Field Observations. Draft Report by David G. Aubrey, Wayne D. Spencer, Ben Guiterez, William Robertson V and David Gallo, April 8, 1996.

115

Review of Geotechnical and Archaeological Investigations at the Money Pit, Oak Island, Nova Scotia

MoneyPit

Borehole10X

Smith’sCove

MoneyPit

Oak Island 1986

Presentation byLes MacPhie

toThe Canadian Geotechnical

SocietyWestern Quebec Section

Montreal GroupJanuary 23, 2008

Oak Island 1992

WesternShore

Review of Geotechnical and Archaeological Conditions at ...€¦ · Review of Geotechnical and...

Documents

Transcript of Review of Geotechnical and Archaeological Conditions at ...€¦ · Review of Geotechnical and...