MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / REALITY TV

Internet trolls 'The Curse of Oak Island' team's latest theory connecting Templar and Viking

'The Curse of Oak Island' guys invite an expert who elaborates on the idea that the Vikings and Templars were in fact in contact

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: The team from 'The Curse of Oak Island' discovers a new historic structure in the swamp and learns more about how the Vikings arrived at the island. As the March 12 episode concluded with some disappointing findings, viewers rushed to social media to mock their latest "Templar and Viking" theory.

In the Tuesday episode, Billy Gerhardt discovered another human-made building in the swamp, this time a wooden wall. Geoscientist Ian Spooner is on hand to show that the red clay found near the wall is the same substance found beneath the stone highway; "push it further back in time."

Several theories about the roadway date it to 500 years or more, implying that this wall is also quite ancient. Viewers are already familiar with structures like the paved area, which dates back to 1200.

As a result, this additional relic adds to an already complex riddle. The lads have spent the previous several weeks looking into the idea that Templar Knights visited the island in the 13th century and built various stone monuments, notably Nolan's Cross, as markers for hidden riches.

Last week, the finding of an item perhaps tied to the Vikings prompted historian Doug Crowell to speculate about a partnership between the Templar Knights and the Vikings. Professor Adriano Gaspani earlier remarked that only the Templars would have the know-how to construct such buildings in accordance with the stars in the 13th century, and Doug pointed out that the Vikings are considered to have reached the Americas' east coast long before Columbus.

In this week's episode, the lads welcome another expert who expands on their theory that the Vikings had a working connection with the Templars. Rick Lagina is delighted by this revelation.

The Brotherhood discovers a new facility beneath the swamp, and a fresh notion implies the Vikings collaborated with the Templars to assist them reach Oak Island. 

Reacting to that latest theory, viewers on X asked, "Vikings and Templars were… friends?" Another disappointed viewer wrote, "Well Everyone...we had so much promise with our Vikings/Templar connection... We end with yet more wood and speculation...oh well. There's always next week!!" 

One user quipped, "If there is anything we all know about Vikings is that they LOVED crosses." While another joked, "The “red stuff” is the blood of the Vikings victims."

One questioned their theory, "NAIL SPIKEY thing from late 1400s? - by that time the VIKINGS and TEMPLARS faded into history centuries earlier... They are all over the map over 800 years.." Others doubt, "Templars and the Vikings had a RELATIONSHIP? Uhhhh..."

'The Curse of Oak Island' team starts lateral probe drilling at Garden Shaft

The show has been flooded with theories in recent weeks, and fans may be wondering when they will begin digging. However, the Dumas miners did some solid work on deepening and stabilizing the Garden Shaft, and with that being complete, they began lateral probing from the side.

Dumas has already found many wood beams believed to originate from the enigmatic tunnel leading to the Baby Blob, and viewers watched their probing drill begin following that line this week. Fans hoped they might follow the ancient tunnel to the riches, but all they found was more "wood."

Only Templar Knights would have the power to create such structures on 13th-century Oak Island

The team behind 'The Curse of Oak Island' discovered that three stone monuments on the island were created in the 13th century, most likely by the Templar Knights. Professor Adriano Gaspani expanded on his prior research on Nolan's Cross by investigating two other stone monuments.

Adriano inspected the stone cairns on Lot 15 and the stone triangle on the southern shore and established that they were made to align with the stars, moon, and sun. The professor stated unequivocally that the stone cairns were created about 1250 AD, and last year he claimed Nolan's Cross was built in 1200 AD.

Adriano stated that the expertise required to build these constructions could only come from someone who understood navigation, astronomy, and geometry. The builders designed these coded stone monuments to serve as markers for a chosen few.

The professor went on to explain that such knowledge would only be available at that time within religious, monastic, or knightly groups, and that the Templar Knights were the most powerful at the time. Following up on the professor's study, the men sent in Gary Drayton to search the area around the stone cairns for metal items.

Gary discovered a lead strip that appeared to be decorated and assumed it was medieval. This relic was given up to archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan, who determined its chemical composition and whether it matched any other artifacts from the island.

Unfortunately, this generated more questions than answers. The object in the issue resembles another twisted lead artifact found on Lot 13.

The relic was determined to have originated in Scandinavia. So, Gary, who was assigned to seek Templar treasures, may have discovered a Viking one instead.

According to Oak Island historian Doug Crowell, the Vikings were the only Europeans known to have journeyed to America prior to Columbus' arrival. They sailed there around the 13th century, when the Templars were at their peak strength.

"Perhaps they knew each other," Doug remarked, hinting that the two medieval factions had collaborated.

'The Curse of Oak Island' team unearthed tunnel at the bottom of Garden Shaft

The boys discovered the tunnel at the bottom of the Garden Shaft. They discovered a collection of wooden circular beams of various diameters.

These beams looked to have been cut by hand, indicating that they were likely older than the nineteenth century, when mechanical methods for cutting wood became commonplace. Roger Fortin believed that the tunnel was around five feet broad.

The team will evaluate this wood to determine what historical period it comes from, but they are confident it is original depositor work. They are becoming optimistic that a big treasure awaits at the end of this tunnel.

'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 11 airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on History.