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It may look like a fixer - upper at first glimpse , but what is bury beneath scrubby little Oak Island might just make its guess $ 7 million price ticket deserving the investment .
Oak Island , in Nova Scotia , is famous for its Money Pit , a whodunit that has endured two one C , claim six lives and swallow up millions in living savings .
The original pit dug by Daniel McGinnis and friends is thought to be located a short distance behind this shaft, and this is where a great deal of excavation activity has taken place over the past 200 years. Photo
The Pit was bring out in 1795 by a local male child named Daniel McGinnis who , spotting an strange glade in the dry land under one of the island ’s oak tree , was prompted to embark on digging . The discovery of layered planks , mysterious Edward Durell Stone slabs , and mats made of coconut fibers descend late into the flat coat turn his nonchalant afternoon get the picture into an all - out excavation .
Investors and thrill - seekers would finally jump in and continue the work , kicking off one of the domain ’s longest running hoarded wealth hunts .
Complex lying in wait
What seems to be a complex flooding trap has thwarted efforts to strain the bottom of the Money Pit ever since . Some intend the pit was purposely flood with saltwater , via a series of stilted swamps and burrow , to hide its contents .
Through the murk , exercise borings and shafts dug by the island ’s serial of proprietor have observe what seem to be cement vaulting , wooden dresser , and scrap of sheepskin paper . Radiocarbon date of these artifact is coherent : whoever manufacture the gibe belike did so sometime in the 16th Century .
guess about the contents of Oak Island ’s Money Pit range from the hoarded wealth of theKnight ’s Templarto Shakespeare ’s original manuscripts .
Oak Island ’s current proprietor , Dan Blankenship and David Tobias , have work on the island since the 1960s , sinking 1000000 of dollars into the project and discover some intriguing clues of their own . For many who postdate Oak Island developments , their forsaking of the hoarded wealth fare as a surprise . As recently as December of 2003 , Blankenship told the Halifax Herald that he would harbinger some Modern , exciting findings in the undermentioned months . The revelation never came .
What ’s it deserving ?
The treasure ’s luck – assuming there is treasure – now rests on the consequence of the sale . Court - appointed liquidator in Nova Scotia are currently wrapping up the rating of Oak Island ’s market worth , with an announcement expected before the end of the year .
A grow movement precede by the Oak Island Tourism Society calls for the governments of Canada or Nova Scotia to buy Oak Island and exploit its potential drop as a major attraction . It seems for now the governments have little stake in throwing their hat into the hoop of potential bidders , and that has many who ’ve watch over the island ’s saga breathing sigh of relief .
" The ideal candidate would be an individual or radical with a actual interest in and means to carry out professional archaeological work " , Mark Finnan , author of " Oak Island Secrets " ( Formac , 1997 ) toldLiveSciencein an e - mail audience .
Finnan believes Oak Island has not seen the last of the aging hoarded wealth - quester Dan Blankenship , either .
" He has a strong hunch about the nature of the hoarded wealth and may yet pass on his finding to the new owner of the farming or even participate in a young exploration effort , " Finnan said .
