Season 13 of The Curse of Oak Island uncovers seven deeply buried artifacts in the island’s swamp—triggered by renewed excavation beyond the Money Pit—that point to advanced pre-Columbian activity, leaving the Lagina brothers and viewers stunned as these discoveries threaten to upend accepted history and transform a treasure hunt into a chilling historical reckoning.

What began as another methodical season focused on the legendary Money Pit took an unexpected turn when Season 13 of The Curse of Oak Island shifted attention to the swamp, unleashing a series of discoveries that have reignited one of history’s most controversial treasure hunts.

Buried beneath layers of clay, waterlogged soil, and centuries of speculation, seven artifacts uncovered this season now stand at the center of an escalating debate over who may have reached Oak Island long before modern history allows—and why they were there.

The pivotal moment came during late-summer excavations in the swamp area on the western end of Oak Island, Nova Scotia, when archaeologist Laird Niven’s team recovered a thin, oddly shaped piece of lead from a depth exceeding what would be expected for colonial debris.

Laboratory analysis quickly confirmed the metal was not naturally occurring in the area and bore signs of advanced smelting techniques inconsistent with early British settlement practices.

“This isn’t random trash,” one member of the team remarked on-site.

“Someone brought this here with intent.”

That lead artifact was only the beginning.

Over subsequent weeks, six additional items emerged, each raising fresh questions rather than providing clear answers.

Among them was a fragment of copper alloy displaying precision tooling marks, suggesting metallurgy far more advanced than what was commonly used by 17th-century settlers in Nova Scotia.

Metallurgical testing revealed trace elements consistent with European or Mediterranean sources, reigniting long-standing theories that Oak Island may have been visited by pre-Columbian explorers.

Another artifact that drew immediate attention was a small, worn religious icon, recovered near a stone-lined feature beneath the swamp.

Though incomplete, its design bore similarities to medieval Christian devotional objects, particularly those associated with persecuted religious groups in Europe.

Rick Lagina, visibly struck by the find, noted during a briefing, “If this object is what it appears to be, then we’re not just talking about treasure—we’re talking about people running from something.”

Perhaps the most controversial discovery was a length of worked wood found preserved in anaerobic swamp conditions.

Carbon dating placed it several centuries earlier than previously identified construction on the island.

Its shape and tool marks suggested it was part of a larger engineered structure, possibly a platform or roadway.

Marty Lagina reacted cautiously but acknowledged the implications: “This could mean organized activity on Oak Island far earlier and far more complex than we’ve ever documented.”

Season 13 also revisited previously dismissed finds in light of the new evidence.

A stone bearing unfamiliar symbols, long debated among fans, was reexamined and found to share stylistic similarities with Old World markings, though no definitive translation has yet been confirmed.

Meanwhile, fragments of leather and iron hardware raised questions about long-distance travel, storage, and sustained occupation rather than brief landings.

What makes these seven artifacts especially significant is not just their individual mystery, but how they intersect.

Together, they form a pattern suggesting Oak Island may have been a strategic site—possibly for concealment, religious refuge, or safeguarding valuable knowledge or materials.

Theories floated by researchers range from Knights Templar activity to early transatlantic trade networks operating in secrecy.

While none have been conclusively proven, the convergence of evidence has shifted the investigation’s tone from speculative to cautiously confrontational.

Public reaction has been swift and intense.

Oak Island fans flooded forums and social media with renewed enthusiasm, while skeptics questioned whether the artifacts truly point to pre-Columbian presence or represent an unusual but coincidental mix of later debris.

Local historians in Nova Scotia have urged restraint, emphasizing the need for peer-reviewed analysis before rewriting historical timelines.

Yet even among the most conservative voices, there is agreement on one point: Season 13 left more questions unanswered than any season before it.

Why were these objects buried so deeply and deliberately? Who possessed the resources and knowledge to engineer structures in such an unforgiving environment? And perhaps most unsettling—what was so valuable, or so dangerous, that it required hiding on a remote island for centuries?

As winter closed in on Oak Island and excavation slowed, the seven artifacts remained locked in analysis labs, their secrets still just out of reach.

For Rick and Marty Lagina, the season ended not with closure, but with a sense of looming revelation.

“We didn’t solve the mystery,” Rick said quietly during the final dig briefing.

“But we may have finally learned what kind of mystery this really is.”

Season 13 may be over, but the implications of what was uncovered are only beginning to surface—and they could change everything believed about Oak Island, and the history of the New World itself.