What Are They Trying To Find On The Curse Of Oak Island?
The old legend of Oak Island's mysterious treasure has captivated the minds of would-be adventurers for centuries. Ever since the late 1700s, when a group of teenagers discovered a mysterious man-made shaft on the island — now known simply as the "Money Pit" – rumors of buried treasure have haunted the little landmass off the coast of Nova Scotia.
This rumored treasure was enough to captivate the minds of Rick and Marty Lagina, hosts of History's "The Curse of Oak Island," who have been obsessed with the legend ever since they read about it as boys. Both brothers have spent years scouring the island for clues as to where that treasure might be –- though perhaps the bigger mystery, albeit the one less discussed, would be what, exactly, the treasure is. Over the decades, the small island has been rumored to have held everything from the jewels of Marie Antoinette to the Holy Grail itself
What is it that's actually buried on the island (if, indeed, something is there)? What are they actually searching for?
Most signs point to a pirate treasure
There's no way to confirm what may really be hidden on the island (other than finding it, of course), but the most widely accepted theory is that the island holds the treasure of the legendary William Kidd. Though initially a legitimate privateer — ransacking enemy trade ships under the orders of the British empire — Captain Kidd was eventually proclaimed to be a pirate and hanged for his crimes in 1701 (via Encyclopedia Britannica).
Part of the reason that so many point to the Oak Island treasure being Kidd's pirate treasure is because the legendary criminal famously buried a portion of his plunder on Gardiners Island –- and some still believe the rest of his treasure is still out there. Legend has it that a dying member of Kidd's crew claimed that up to £2 million was buried on the island. This theory about Captain Kidd's treasure is further inflamed by the alleged discovery of a large, engraved stone buried on the island — which has been missing since it was allegedly found — and which read: "Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried" (via Deadline).
As mentioned, this is just the most popular theory of what might be hidden on the mysterious Oak Island. There are dozens of different theories about what might be hidden there, and that's part of what makes the treasure hunt so exciting. Perhaps all they're really looking for is the truth — to solve, once and for all, the mystery of Oak Island that has baffled people for centuries.