All language subtitles for The Curse of Oak Island - S12E22 - Knight After Knight WEBDL-1080p.en

Tonight on
The Curse of Oak Island...

Oh, my goodness!
Oh, look at this!

Oh, it's beautiful!

- Oh, my heavens.
- Whoa!

Whoa!

- See right there?
- Yup.

That's massive.

That's been in there
a long, long time.

- Yeah.
- That could be another vault.

-Welcome to Malta.
-Wow!

- Look at this.
-It's quite amazing.

It's just absolutely incredible.

That's stunning.

Is this blueish clay?

Blue clay was one
of the keys in working

- in the Money Pit.
-This is evidence of

what happened on Oak Island.

where people
have been looking for

an incredible treasure
for more than 200 years.

So far, they have found
a stone slab

with strange symbols
carved into it,

man-made workings
that date to medieval times,

and a lead cross
whose origin may be connected

to the Knights Templar.

To date, six men have died

trying to solve the mystery.

And according to legend,
one more will have to die

before the treasure
can be found.

And this is a perfect group
because

we're gonna talk
about the swamp.

And we got the players
right here.

brothers Rick and Marty Lagina
and their team remain hopeful

that before another harsh
North Atlantic winter sets in,

they will be able to finally
solve a 230-year-old mystery.

I'd like this group
to kind of decide...

You know,
we don't have much time left.

What do we want to accomplish?

Rick is off in Malta right now,
but when he comes back,

it'd be nice
to give him a happy surprise.

in the Money Pit area

as representatives from
SB Canada and ROC Equipment

prepare the site for the team's
deepest excavation yet

in search of a fabled treasure,

Rick Lagina and other members
of the team have traveled

to the European nation of Malta

to investigate
an incredible theory--

...that numerous treasure
deposits were made on Oak Island

between the 12th
and 17th centuries

by the medieval order
of the Knights Templar

and a related group
known as the Knights of Malta.

And while Rick is away,

Marty and Craig
are leading the effort

to search for possible clues
and valuables across Oak Island,

with a focus
on the triangle-shaped swamp.

So, what are we gonna do?

Well, the big thing
we're looking for in the swamp,

at this point in time,
is artifacts.

Something
that can say who or when.

I'd like a "why," too, Craig.

- Yeah.
-All this weird digging

and manipulating in a swamp

for what reason?

The north area is where we found

- the vault.
- Yeah.

the team has been astonished

to uncover numerous
man-made structures

throughout the swamp,

including a massive paved
feature near the center,

which has been dated
to as early as 1200 AD,

and a stone road
in the southeast corner

that is believed to be
as much as 500 years old.

Doesn't that look
like a vault to you?

of a mysterious
cobblestone pathway

in the northern region
of the swamp, incredibly,

the team uncovered an empty

brick and slate
vault-like feature

that may be more
than 300 years old.

Rick thinks, you know,
that vault is just one of many.

And it sure could be.

So, we've got a big area
that we could explore yet.

Steve, can you show
where we expanded to?

Okay.

That area there.

into the main body of the swamp

with the hope
that even more important,

and potentially valuable secrets
are still waiting

to be revealed.

So, we did dig in here...

...all the way up to the road.

Now, we can expand westward,
and we can do

- everything north.
-Hmm.

I've already staked this out.

It's a huge area,

and so, there's a lot
of ground we can dig.

as much effort
as we've expended there,

and as much material
as we've moved,

we still probably
only looked into about--

I don't know-- maybe 20 percent.

That leaves 80 percent
unexplored.

So, there's plenty of room
for more mysteries.

You know, I know
big brother Rick

would certainly be delighted

if we uncover another one
of those vaults,

with a clue or something in it.

Which might also help us
to understand why it's there.

- Yeah.
-All right.

Billy, ask me what time it is.

- What time is it?
- It's time to dig.

in the war room on Oak Island...

...more than 4,000 miles
to the east

on the island nation of Malta...

Wow. Look at this.

-What a beautiful day.
-Unbelievable.

Alex Lagina and Peter Fornetti,

and other members of the team...

Hey, Matthew.

- How are you?
- Good.

to visit the historic site
known as Fort St. Elmo,

a 16th century structure
that was built

by members
of the Knights of Malta.

Welcome to Fort St. Elmo.

This is just one

of the many historical
fortifications of Malta.

But this one is a symbol
for Malta,

because it proves the
building skills of the Knights.

And that's why today
we're here with Matthew Balzan,

who's an archeologist,

specializing
in Hospitaller studies.

He's going to give us
valuable insights.

was established
by the Catholic Church

to defend Christian interests
in Jerusalem

during the holy wars,
known as the Crusades.

With the military
and medical support

of a related group--
the Knights Hospitaller--

who later became
the Knights of Malta,

the Templars waged
many successful campaigns

for nearly two centuries

and built fortified strongholds

throughout the Middle East
and Europe.

Some with elaborate tunnels
and underground water systems.

The order also grew
incredibly wealthy

by establishing
a sophisticated banking system,

and were rumored
to have found a number

of priceless
religious artifacts,

including the Holy Grail,

the golden menorah
from Solomon's Temple

and the Ark of the Covenant.

Treasures that some researchers believe

the Templars began
secretly transporting

across the Atlantic Ocean
around 1200 AD

and buried them on Oak Island.

But then, in the early 1300s,

the Catholic church
and the king of France

suddenly persecuted and
dissolved the Knights Templar

on controversial charges
of heresy.

Many were imprisoned
and executed,

but much
of their remaining wealth

and rumored religious treasures
were never found.

It has been speculated

that these valuables
were transferred

to the Knights of Malta,
along with secret knowledge

about an established vault
on Oak Island.

And curiously, it is known

that the Knights of Malta
had a presence in Nova Scotia

as early as the 17th century.

We brought some artifacts
with us from Oak Island

that we'd like you
to take a look at, if you would.

Is there a place we can do that?

Excellent.

- Thank you.
- Yeah?
- Yes.

- Sounds like a great idea.
- Follow you there.

Rick and members
of the team are hoping

to learn more information

about possible connections
to Oak Island

that might explain
the mysterious structures

in the swamp,

and artifacts they have found,

including the 14th century,

possibly Templar-related
lead cross,

a button
with a starburst design,

which may be connected
to the Knights of Malta,

and a pickax recovered
from deep in the Money Pit area,

which scientific analysis
has suggested

could be of European origin.

The reason for any
of our research trips have been

for one single purpose,

and that is to try
to come up with answers

regarding
the Oak Island mystery.

We believe
that there was a trail

to be followed here in Malta,

hopefully associated
with the Knights of Malta.

We have a pick that we found.

This was found
in our Money Pit area.

We put down a caisson,

and the name
of the caisson was RF-1.

And this was found
below 145 feet in the ground.

Wow.

When the knights

arrived here in the 1500s,

that was already in use?

In Valletta, Malta,
at Fort St. Elmo,

a stronghold built
by the Knights of Malta

in the 16th century,

historian Matthew Balzan
has just suggested

that a pickax

recovered six years ago
by the Oak Island team

from deep in the Money Pit area,

is the same kind of tool
that was once used

by the Knights of Malta
in the construction

of their elaborate
tunneling systems.

Would a tool like that
be used in limestone?

Did they make use of clay
as a resource

as part of the fortifications,
or anything else that they did?

Okay.

Oh.

We've brought lots
of broken pottery out

- of the Money Pit area.
- Sure have.
- Certainly have.

to a depth of 90 feet in 1804,

searchers reported finding
a heavy, man-made clay substance

that had been used as a sealant
to keep water out of the shaft.

Curiously, the team has found
not only heavy clay,

but also small fragments
of pottery

during their excavations
in the Money Pit area.

The depth that we found this
on the island,

that's the type of material
that's down in the Money Pit.

Quite similar.

that those substances,
as well as this pickax,

could be evidence that might
connect the Knights of Malta

to the Oak Island mystery?

The Knights of Malta--

they were
craftsmen extraordinaire,

just like the Knights Templar.

Both organizations built
incredibly complex structures.

Is there some overlap

that the construction techniques
learned

by one were exchanged
with the other?

It's hard to believe
that each arrived

at their unique abilities
and talents

without some sort of cooperation

and some sort of interaction.

You know, Matthew,
we want to say thank you.

It is only through help
from people like yourself

that will allow us
to move this story forward.

My pleasure having you.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

continue their investigation
in Malta...

...back on the western side
of Oak Island...

We're still getting stuff
in here.

- That corner is basically done.
- Yeah.

Moya MacDonald and other members

of the archeology team
are searching for clues

in a mysterious round feature

near the shoreline of Lot 5.

Ever since Rick, Marty
and the team

began excavating
this structure in 2022,

it has yielded a number
of important discoveries.

These include varied types of
stone constructs in the feature

that suggest
it was used as a campsite

by a number of groups
during different time periods.

A mortar-like substance
matching soils

from over 100 feet deep
in the Money Pit area,

and the so-called
starburst button,

which researcher Judi Rudebusch

has potentially connected
to the Knights of Malta.

Doing good today.

some very interesting finds

that suggest
there were multiple people here.

So, are there connections
between Lot 5

and the original
depositional work?

I hope that we can

get to the point where
Lot 5 will reveal its secrets.

Oh, nice.

- Look at this.
-Whoa.

Whoa! Whoa!

-
Oh, that's so pretty!
- Look at that!

That's amazing!

That's a great find.

Hey, Helen, come look at this.

-You found something?
-Yeah.

Check this out.

Oh, my heavens. Look at that.

- It's huge!
- It's huge, yeah.

Wow.

- So, that's a slipware-like
decoration.
- Okay.

So, it's glazed,
and they put the slip on it,

and then they would trail
an object through it

to make that wiggly pattern.

These coarse earthenwares--

they have a wide date range.

It falls well within,
like, mid to late 1700s.

- You can also find it earlier.
- Hmm.

But it didn't change that much
over time.

The interesting thing is,

over there in that pit,
that's where

the starburst or
the sunburst button came from.

- Oh, that's right.
- Yeah.
-Right.

- This area is actually
quite interesting now, so...
- Mm.

that dates
to the 18th century or earlier?

Could it be connected

to whomever left the starburst
button in this feature?

And if so,
could it offer more evidence

that members
of the Knights of Malta

might be linked
to the Oak Island mystery?

- Nice. Very nice.
- Awesome.

- Yeah.
- I'll keep digging.

Keep digging.

on Lot 5...

Hey, Billy!

What is the plan?

We're gonna keep going
in this general direction?

We'll take slices
this way 'cause

we found the vault
right over there, and

we've never really
explored around here.

Billy Gerhardt, Steve Guptill

and Charles Barkhouse
are searching for more evidence

of man-made workings,
and valuables,

in the northern region
of the swamp.

Yeah. I'm hoping
we find another vault, as well.

That vault was really cool.

something strange
and out of place,

like the square-shaped vault,

and it's on Oak Island, I think
it's a logical conclusion

that there might be more
of them.

Maybe there's something
inside it.

So, we need to look for them.

- Look at that.
- What do you see?

Look at that timber right there.

- See right there?
- Yeah.

which is a great sign

because we have found some
incredible man-made structures.

Hopefully,
we're close to an old feature.

- Hey, Charles.
- Hey, Marty.

How we doing?

There's quite
a substantial log right there.

You came at a good time
'cause we're just trying

to figure out what this is.

Yeah. Let's have a look.

-That was a big log.
-Yeah.

It does look like
there could be real potential

- that something might have been
built up here, right?
- Yeah.

that the team
has just found part

of another man-made structure

buried under the muck
in the swamp?

If so,
just what might they reveal

as they uncover more of it?

There's another log right there.

- See that?
-Yeah.

Little one.

My view would be

that's been in there
a long, long time.

That's an important piece there.

Looks like
it's cut on that end, too.

It's notched, like a structure.

Hopefully, it's something
we could uncover here.

It's notched wood,
like a structure.

Maybe you're coming
into something.

of the Oak Island swamp,

Marty Lagina, along

with other members of the team

have just discovered evidence

of another man-made
wooden structure.

Okay, let's start with things
that are absolutely for sure.

For sure, somebody built this
to get out here.

I don't think
there's any way to argue that.

- No.
- The question is why and who.

Yeah. Were they looking
for the vault that we found?

Or did they know that one was
there because, they...?

There's another one.

A whole bunch of activity
occurred in the swamp.

The swamp was manipulated.

If not manmade entirely,
at least manipulated.

It would have been used for
something very, very important,

and very secretive,
but none of this is easy work.

Particularly long ago.

Why somebody would do something
like that remains a mystery.

Billy, we're only going
to find out by digging.

Yup.

-Let's dig!
-And see what we see.

while the team works to uncover
the mysterious wooden structure

in the swamp on Oak Island...

...more than 4,000 miles to
the east in Valletta, Malta...

Hello. Good to see you.

- How are you?
- Hi.

- Nice to see you again.
- Hey, Jean-Paul.
- Hi.

So, guys, we are
in the heart of Valletta.

has arranged for Rick Lagina

and other members of the team

to meet investigative journalist
Jean-Paul Mifsud

for a guided tour
of one of Malta's

most mysterious
and renowned features.

Jean-Paul Mifsud

is going to be our guide today.

And we're going to go down

and take a look at the
underground part of the city.

The one who was built
by the Knights of Malta.

Mm-hmm.

As a kid,
this was our playground,

you know, all these tunnels.

If you move back in time
over 400 years ago,

this was just, like, a hill.

The Knights took this hill,

Mount Sciberras,

and designed
all the fortifications

and the defense, but also,
in case of siege, tunnels.

Valletta is like a grid.

And there are tunnels
underneath each street.

These tunnels were then used
by the Knights.

- Wow.
-Incredible.

Be very careful walking down,
and your heads.

Have fun down there. I've got
an appointment at the archive,

so it's too close to that
appointment for me to go down.

Okay.

-
All right, see you, Doug.
-See you.

after defending Valletta
from an attempted invasion

by the Ottoman Empire...

began a major renovation
of the city

to create a stronghold
for their order.

The new fortification
included a vast network

of underground tunnels

that were dug out
of the limestone bedrock.

These tunnels offered not only
a safe haven in times of war

for the Knights
and the citizens of Valletta,

but also served
as secure storage facilities

and featured elaborate cisterns
for collecting

and controlling water.

And according
to some researchers,

the tunnels may have also served

as a hiding place
for Templar-related treasures

before they were transported
to the New World.

It's just absolutely incredible.

it's massive.

It is a highway,
literally underground.

Various tunnels,
cisterns, chambers

were developed and built
to sustain a siege.

I think it was representative

of the skills necessary
to construct a chamber

or a vault or a room
that could hold treasure.

But these were
the original cisterns.

The function
of this was obviously

- for the water.
-Mm-hmm.

And it's two... cisterns.

So, there is a...
connecting arch there.

We'll go in.
And even further down,

- it's a bit deeper, also.
-Mm-hmm.

And at the end,

there is a small
connecting tunnel,

which links both reservoirs.

So, this was done in 1570?

- JEAN-PAUL: That's the era.
-The way I hear the story,

it was in response
to the Great Siege

- that they did all this.
- Oh, yeah.

Yes. Was direct response because

the Knights were convinced

that the Ottomans were going
to try another great siege.

- Mm-hmm.
- So, there's an acute threat.

- Yeah.
- We're looking for reasons

they may have taken an interest

in other locations,
even as far as Oak Island.

This is evidence that they might
have been thinking that way,

that they needed
to safeguard... things.

It certainly seems
to be the right timeframe.

By that time, they'd realize

that they'd be susceptible
to attacks here,

and it might be an idea that
we need to move what we have,

and we take them
to Nova Scotia,

and they go... they deposit
something on Oak Island.

and Knight of Malta,
Isaac de Razilly,

led an expedition
to North America

in order to establish
France's colony of Acadia,

known today as Nova Scotia.

Curiously, the colony's
headquarters were at Fort Point

on the LaHave River, just
15 miles south of Oak Island.

Is it possible that
Isaac de Razilly's expedition

was also related
to a secret mission?

One designed
to safeguard another cache

of Templar-related treasures
in the New World on Oak Island?

So now, let's go and have a look
at the tunnels.

- Let's go.
- Perfect.
-Okay.

After you, sir.

of the Knights of Malta--
it's an incredible undertaking.

They needed structures
like these

to protect their possessions,
to protect themselves.

that's easily explainable here,
the "why."

On Oak Island, it's not quite
so easy to explain,

but perhaps
some answers lie within.

It's almost surreal.

JEAN-PAUL:
In the Knight's era,

this would have been
the passageway,

which passes exactly underneath
the street up at the top.

You can really see
the difference

in the tools that they used.

JEAN-PAUL:
It's a kind of rock
which you can

chisel away straight.

Is this clay?

It's grayish, blueish,
it's softer than the limestone.

The blue clay
played an important role,

because you have, like,
a natural sealant.

And you come across something

- similar on your island?
-Yes. We know

that waterproofing
with blue clay

had to be done in the Money Pit.

- Okay.
-Around

whatever
they were hiding in there.

It's grayish, blueish.

JEAN-PAUL:
Did you come across something

- similar on your island?
-Yes.

We know that waterproofing
with blue clay

had to be done in the Money Pit.

- Okay.
- Around

whatever they were hiding
in there.

an underground tunnel system
in Valletta, Malta,

that was constructed
in the 16th century

by members
of the Knights of Malta,

Rick Lagina
and members of the team

have just found a potential clue

that might be related
to the Oak Island mystery.

Waterproofing was one

of the keys
in working on the island,

because it was an island.

Is it possible
that Rick and the team

have just seen a
waterproofing method in tunnels

that were created
by the Knights of Malta,

which matches
the reported design

of the original
Oak Island Money Pit?

We know, based on our work
in the Money Pit,

that blue clay was used
to waterproof things.

The shafts, in particular.
Perhaps the tunnels.

-That's amazing.
-Mm-hmm.

Might it be replicated here?

Because we know
that they needed some way

to waterproof the aqueducts
and the underground cisterns.

So, it's quite impactful
to see it here.

This kind of limestone,
you don't encounter

on Oak Island
until you get very deep.

-Yup.
-The legend

tells of flood tunnels
on the island.

This speaks to the capability
of these people,

experience with tunneling.

And when we talk

about potential suspects
on the island,

like the Knights of Malta,

we're standing in the work

of a group of people
at the end of the 1500s.

I mean, they did it.

Yeah. You're standing on it.

The original description

of the original find
of the Money Pit,

where the treasure
would have resided--

you could see the same things.
There was no cribbing.

You could see the strike marks
on the walls.

It was that
tightly consolidated.

It was very competent ground.

Could this have been done
long ago on Oak Island?

I'd say it's definitive.

All of the things

that we see exhibited

of the Knights of Malta's
capabilities underground

certainly are exemplified
underground in the Money Pit.

We have limestone,
we have blue clay.

And someone found a way
to move water

from the ocean to the Money Pit.

So, is it possible
that this same type of work

by the same peoples,
might that have been used

to do the same type of work
on Oak Island?

It's possible.

And at some point,
that might be provable.

You have led us to a place
that affirms to us

some of the work
on Oak Island was known

and conducted
during the timeframes

that we have
great suspicion of: 1500s,

times of the Knights of Malta.

So, for that,
we are extremely grateful.

- Thank you very much.
- Well, for us,

there's more to see in Valletta.

So, let's resurface.

-Thank you.
-Thank you so much.

and members of the team
continue their search

for clues in Malta,

over 4,000 miles to the west,
on Lot 5 of Oak Island...

Nice, loose subsoil, isn't it,

- compared to what we had
in the other pits?
-Yeah.

...Jack Begley
joins Helen Sheldon

and other members
of the archaeology team

as they dig for more artifacts
and potential valuables

in and around
the mysterious stone foundation.

- We just have to go slow.
- Yeah.

and being able to dig on
the side of the feature today

where that Starburst button
was found,

I'm hoping we can find
some other related artifacts

to give us an earlier date.

Oh, wow.

Oh! Look at that.

Oh, look.
Looks like there's more here.

Oh, yeah. Oh, look!

Oh, my goodness.

It's a few shards together.

Yeah. There's a lot of shards.

Oh, what a nice piece.

I bet you
those would fit together.

Yeah. Look at all this.

It's everywhere.

It's everywhere!

This is great. That's almost,
like, a whole plate.

It is almost like a whole plate.

Look at that.
You've got the foot ring

- that fits on there.
- Yeah.

It's the base. Oh!
This is great.

-Yeah.
- There's tons of it here.

So, this looks
like creamware here.

- Yup. Creamware.
So, that's pretty neat.
- Okay.

We're looking at something,
you know, from the late

- three quarters of the 1700s.
- Yeah. It's awesome.

Because the team
has found artifacts

dating to as early
as the 14th century,

and a number
from the 17th century,

is it possible that they are
now finding evidence

of yet another period when
this feature was occupied?

- Somebody ate off that plate.
- Yeah.

And what was their purpose?

and has been changing
our thoughts all along.

Initially, when we started
looking at things,

it looked like it could have
been perhaps a basic homestead.

Do you want
to start bagging it?

- Because I think you've got
the rest of the plate there.
- Yeah.

The rest of the plate.

- A whole plate here.
- I'll open it for you.

and finding more
and more artifacts,

now I'm starting to think

that it could have been
multi-generational and

having some bit of conspiracy
to do with the Money Pit itself.

There's definitely some ties,

and it's really making me
rethink who was here

and what were they doing.

This is definitely
an artifact-rich layer.

If we're finding that,
right here, that much intact,

I'm excited
to see what else is in here.

Yeah, exactly.

Oh, my goodness.

- What have you got?
- Oh, look at this!

I think this is a button.

It's got a little pattern
on it, kind of.

That looks really fragile.

- Can I take a look?
- Yeah.

near the shoreline on Lot 5,

archaeology assistant
Ethan Green

has just made a potentially
important discovery.

Look, you've got the shank
and everything.

- It's fully intact.
-Yeah.

Hey, Helen and Jack,

you got to come check this out.

-Yeah.
- You got to look at this.

- What do you have?
- Ethan just found this.

-Oh, my heavens.
-Whoa!

There's something on there.

- That's not just a flat button.
-Yeah, he...

He had good eyes.
He could see it, too.

- What do you think it is?
-Kind of looks

like a flower to me.

I think the fact
that it's got any kind

of pattern on it is going
to be fascinating.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

featuring a flower design?

Could Fiona Steele be correct
that it may bear a key clue

that might help identify
just who left it

in this feature on Lot 5?

A feature that the team believes
may be connected

to one or more operations

to hide something of value
in the Money Pit?

Keep in mind, we found

- the starburst button
right over there.
- Yeah.

-Yeah.
- Like, we're talking
a few feet away.

-Yeah.
-
So, if this is anything similar,

- then that's pretty exciting.
- Yup.

There is that connection
between the starburst button

and the Knights of Malta,
so, who knows?

This new button we just found

could relate
to that starburst button.

It could have an insignia
or something on the face

of the button that could
give us more information

to whether or not the Knights
of Malta were on Oak Island.

We're going to have
to take that to the lab...

-Yeah.
- ...and do some scans on it.

Emma will tell us
how old that is.

- Yeah. And exactly
what it's made of.
- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah. Yeah.
- Ethan's on a roll.

Yeah, he is. He really is.

- Let's get back
to sifting, Helen.
- Okay.

Let's get back to it.

Nice find, Ethan.

as the investigations continue

in the northern region
of the swamp...

We're running out of time! Dig!

- This could probably
still come down a bit.
- Yeah.

off the coast of Malta...

From one island to another.

-
One beautiful island to another.
-Yeah.

...Rick Lagina
and members of the team

are being transported
to the island of Gozo,

where the Knights of Malta
established one

of their strongholds in 1565.

We brought some
of the artifacts. -Yeah.

Because maybe
we can find some connection.

in the hopes of making
more possible connections

between the Knights of Malta
and the Oak Island mystery.

Even though the beauty,
the aesthetics

of what we are about to see,
we are focused.

We mustn't lose fact
of the magnitude

of the possibilities that we are
beginning to hopefully uncover.

- Is this the place?
-Yeah. This one.

the connection between the
Knights of Malta and Oak Island.

- Hey, Denis. How are you?
- Hey. Hi.

How are you?

Denis Darmanin
is a Maltese historian

and leading expert on military

artifacts and buttons,
and today,

Corjan Mol and Emiliano Sachetti

have arranged for Denis
to analyze the starburst button

that was found
on Lot 5 one year ago.

- Well, sir,
I have a button to show you.
- Oh.

Our archeologists-- they believe
it has the potential

to be one of the oldest buttons
we've found on the island.

Let's see.

- There you go.
- That's all right. There it is.

Ah, well, the pattern is
more likely a Spanish pattern.

- Mm-hmm.
-That's interesting,
because

some members of the Knights
of Malta came from Spain.

Of course.
And what I can add to that is,

I did come across
a similar pattern here.

And according to the sizes,
they were either worn

on the waistcoat,
or else they were worn,

the larger sizes,
on their coats.

I would date it to about 1650,
not later than 1675.

- Hmm.
- That's crazy.

That may indicate a period
of construction for that feature

- on Lot 5.
- Yup. Correct.

It's more than a hundred years,

before the discovery
of the Money Pit.

- Yeah.
- It's quite remarkable.

- Yes.
- Yes. I quite agree.

And this design was quite,
sort of trendy.

But the more elaborate, it adds
to the prestige of the owner.

- Okay.
-So, we know,

in Nova Scotia in the 1630s,

- we had the presence
of Knights of Malta.
- Yes.

So, this button may connect

- to the Knights of Malta?
- Yes.

That's quite remarkable.

So, this button may
connect to the Knights of Malta?

- Yes.
- That's quite remarkable.

Amazing.

located on the Maltese island of Gozo,

Rick Lagina
and members of the team

have just learned
from historian

and button expert Denis Darmanin

that the button bearing
a starburst design,

which was found on Lot 5,

dates back to the 17th century,

and could be connected
to the Knights of Malta.

So, these uniforms

- were highly personalized.
-Yes. Yes, they are.

- They would wear the fashion
of the time.
- Yeah.

These buttons were more trendy
with the aristocratic level.

So, the Knights would hold
their status in what they wear.

Yeah.

So, we'd like
to show you a picture

of a uniform
that might have had a button

- like that with a swirl on it.
- Sure. Sure.

Like to get your thoughts
on that.

Yes. It's a similarity.

Either it's a button
exactly like it,

- or of a larger size.
- Mm-hmm.

Because a coat button--
that would be larger

than, let's say, a vest button

- or a waistcoat button.
- Right.

So, with this starburst button
in particular,

there is a possibility that this
button would have been worn

by somebody, a member
of the Knights of Malta.

Oh, yes, I agree.

Well, that's a pretty
exciting possibility.

I find that to be

- very, very interesting.
- Yeah.

that the so-called
starburst button

may very well have come

from the uniform of a member
of the Knights of Malta,

could it help prove
that the order was connected

to the Oak Island mystery?

And also explain
the mortar-like material

that was found
in the round feature on Lot 5,

that matches soils
from over 100 feet deep

in the Money Pit area?

We have the research
which kind of brought us here

in the first place
that really spell out Malta.

But then we have
this mysterious button

that seems to kind of
be tying everything together.

So, I think
that's an exciting possibility.

It's true.

predating the discovery
of the Money Pit

by a significant amount of time,
but to what end?

This may be the button
that explains

what the Lot 5 feature
possibly represents.

You know, Denis, we can only
solve the treasure hunt

by looking to the past

in order to understand
what lies ahead of us.

- Yes.
-But you have
certainly given us

great insight, and we really,
really appreciate it.

Well, my final comment is,
I'm always here to assist.

-Thank you very much.
-It's an honor.

currently separate members
of the Oak Island team,

their new discoveries
both on the island,

and halfway across the globe,

may have brought them
ever closer

to the answers they seek.

And now, as their long journey

to solve this mystery continues,

perhaps it is now
only a matter of time

before the ultimate revelation
is pulled from deep underground.

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