Why The Curse Of Oak Island's Palladium Discovery Excites Rick Lagina & Team

It's become somewhat of a running joke among fans for History's "The Curse of Oak Island" that, amid all the actual science and history, is a bunch of hoaxes. The show's currently on Season 11, with Rick Lagina and his team still not uncovering the mythical treasure. They've found plenty of other noteworthy items and locales, but with all the time and equipment they've dedicated to the search, one would assume they'd find something substantial at this point. But the tide may be turning on the reality series. 

On Season 11, Episode 2 — "Heavy Lifting" — the crew locates a tunnel under the Garden Shaft. This follows up on events from the previous episode when the team came upon wood they believed could be part of a tunnel system leading to a treasure vault. To support this theory, Rick Lagina and his compatriots also found palladium on "The Curse of Oak Island."

Lagina says it best in "Heavy Lifting." "Palladium might be associated with gold refining or gold being in the ground. That would be exceedingly interesting to me. We have a piece of wood at an elevation we have significant interest in, so it's not just a piece of wood. It's a clue, and this clue needs to be followed." After all this time, are these investigators finally about to uncover gold and other treasures on Oak Island?

The palladium featured on "The Curse of Oak Island" is all the more important, considering it isn't found naturally on this land. Since it's present in the tunnel, it would mean that it was brought from other areas, indicating someone could have hidden a treasure on the island after all. The team has found evidence of a tunnel in the past, and if the wood they most recently retrieved is part of one interconnected shaft, it could be a boon for the adventure. This leads to numerous questions. Who built the tunnel? If it's really there, where does it lead? It's an explorer's dream come true, and Season 11 is shaping up to be one for the history books. 

The exciting discovery couldn't have come at a better time. Many have begun to believe that authorities solved the mystery of Oak Island some time ago. While Rick Lagina and his associates have found some intriguing items on the island, it pales in comparison to a legitimate treasure. A tunnel, even if it doesn't lead to a buried treasure box, is still enticing for the crew and viewers at home.

Fans will have to continue watching new episodes of "The Curse of Oak Island" as they're released on History. Next up is to get the wood Carbon-14 dated. This will tell the team how old the wood is and they can determine if it matches what was found previously. If it's a match, it could all be connected to the structure around the Garden Shaft, renewing hope in the crew and fans alike.