MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / REALITY TV

Will there be 'The Curse of Oak Island' Season 12? Marty Lagina jumps in mud puddle to study 'cement-like' structure

Furious fans slam Marty Lagina, the History TV archaeologist, 'jumps in the rock hole and comes up with a small rock to analyze'

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA: According to researcher John Edwards, Nolan's Cross was created as a signpost to find ancient wealth, according to the 'The Curse of Oak Island' crew.

Based on that, this week's episode featured Marty Lagina plunging into a puddle only to inspect a bit of cement, leaving viewers wondering whether this is the start of anything new. (New season?)

Marty and the crew gathered on Lot 10, near the center of Oak Island, to conduct further examination of Cone E, one of the six stones forming the megalithic structure known as Nolan's Cross.

Based on the findings of Italian archaeoastronomer Professor Adriano Gaspani, who maintains that Templar Order members constructed Nolan's Cross approximately eight centuries ago, Marty obtained special authorization from fellow landowner Tom Nolan to raise Cone E and look for hints that could support this amazing theory.

After lifting Cone E, Marty and the rest of the crew discovered a vital clue. Fans who have been longing for the treasure, took to X to wonder if this is another ploy for the show to jump into a new season without finding any constructive answers in Season 11.

One user asked, "Pretty convenient that Marty decides to jump in the rock hole and comes up with a small rock to analyze. Some slight of hand? Looking for another season?" Another user asked, "Why did Marty Jim in a puddle?"

One user wrote, "Billy looking at Marty as if to say I didn't come here for a piece of cement." While another added, "Marty can’t gripe about the swamp any more after climbing in there." 

One concerned fan asked, "Did Marty just pick up a piece of petrified Templar poop?" Another assured the History star, "I can tell you what's under that rock Marty: nothing."

Archaeologist Laird Niven finds hair embedded in cement-like structure found in Cone E

Marty and geologist Terry Matheson met with other team members at the laboratory on Oak Island to further study the cement-like substance identified beneath Nolan's Cross Cone E.

Emma Culligan, an archaeometallurgist, examined the mystery substance with an X-ray diffraction instrument (XRD), which utilizes X-rays to detect a material's chemical composition and physical characteristics.  Archaeologist Laird Niven claimed that hair of some type was found embedded within the cement-like material located beneath Cone E, a rock in Nolan's Cross.

Who is Emma Culligan on 'The Curse of Oak Island'?

Emma, an engineer, archaeologist, and metallurgist who attended Memorial University in Newfoundland, asserts that finding herself on 'The Curse of Oak Island' was simply a matter of fate.

During an interview with Tom Burns on 'The Curse of Oak Island and Beyond Podcast' in 2023, she confessed that it was more of a fluke. Knowing someone who worked on the show, she decided to send her CV, hoping it might secure her a job as a personal assistant on the show.

However, fellow archaeologist and 'The Curse of Oak Island' cast member Laird recognized her remarkable credentials and offered her a position operating the XRV system on Oak Island instead. "I thought it was spam mail," Emma said about the employment offer she received from Laird.

However, what seemed unbelievable quickly became reality. Emma is thrilled she accepted the offer, as working on the reality program has opened up new research opportunities for her.

Who is Laird Niven on 'The Curse of Oak Island'?

Laird has been an active figure in Nova Scotia's archaeological circles for quite some time. His involvement dates back to 1993 when he commenced archaeological investigations in Birchtown, home to the largest non-African population of free Black people since the American Revolution.

He worked on the Birchtown digs for about a decade, frequently in partnership with the Nova Scotia Museum, uncovering several structures and relics from the area's past. His other work includes an early 2010s excavation in Halifax, where his team unearthed more ruins of historic structures.

Laird's experience with slow, meticulous archaeological work means he is less likely to be overwhelmed by minor finds compared to other team members. He understands that world-changing discoveries do not happen every week.

Knowing his extensive expertise in researching Birchtown's Black loyalist colony also helps to explain why he becomes less visible on film when 'The Curse of Oak Island' introduces new archaeologists.

He merely takes that time to concentrate on the line of research that requires investigating the estate of rich former slave Samuel Ball, which, while not as dramatic for shooting reasons, provides some breathing room and yields more items than those described on the show. Even when major findings are made in the series, they are not always considered Indiana Jones archaeology.

In Season 9, Laird discovers fragments of First Nations pottery on Oak Island, prompting Nova Scotia's Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage and the Acadia First Nation Council to take control. Only Laird survives.

Following this event, Laird has transitioned into more of an advisory role than an active archaeologist. This change, reflected in his reduced number of appearances since the incident, has freed up time from his surveying schedule and led to an increased presence on screen.

Laird has carved himself a critical role on the team that is working hard to uncover the truth about Oak Island, whether he is in front of or behind the cameras.

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