Gary Drayton and Craig Tester Lead Cast Discoveries in Oak Island Lot 5 | The Curse of Oak Island S12E4

In Season 12, Episode 4 of The Curse of Oak Island, titled “Concrete Evidence,” which originally aired on December 3, 2024, the ongoing exploration of Lot 5 leads to a series of revealing discoveries by Gary Drayton and Craig Tester. The two revisit spoils from a previously excavated stone feature and recover artifacts that evoke an era long before modern Oak Island investigations began. Among the most significant finds is a small, rounded button, likely from a 17th-century tunic, whose craftsmanship and preserved shank suggest use by someone of refined status, perhaps military. Gary’s identification of the button as late 1600s to mid-1700s aligns with broader theories that link British forces to early activities on the island.

“These rounded buttons were normally tunic buttons,” Gary explains, noting that the preserved loop suggests it could date to the late 1600s. The team expresses excitement, recognizing the button’s potential historical significance: “Whenever we find a button, I get excited because I know there’s a chance of getting some military insignia.”

Their second find—a lead object potentially used as a coin weight—adds another layer of complexity. While Gary identifies its beveled edges as characteristic of historical coin validation tools, later analysis reveals a more complicated picture. Emma Culligan, an archaeometallurgist working with the team, employs CT scanning and XRF analysis to identify the object’s composition as a copper-iron alloy with high lead content. Though structurally suggestive of older coin weights, the lead’s elevated phosphorus levels point to potential post-20th-century manufacturing. The ambiguity raises critical questions about the artifact’s true origin.

The scientific team, including Rick Lagina and archaeologist Laird Niven, debates the implications. Emma recommends laser ablation isotope analysis to determine geographic origin and age with greater precision. If proven to be authentically old, the lead weight could reinforce the idea that wealth—possibly in the form of treasure—was being measured, divided, or hidden on Lot 5 centuries ago.

Through these finds, the episode shifts focus back to the round feature in Lot 5, speculated to be tied to British military or even Knight Templar activities. The button’s period-accurate construction and the coin weight’s possible historical function provide tangible links to narratives involving early European presence, further supporting theories of intentional deposition rather than random discard. The convergence of science, artifact recovery, and historical analysis in this episode illustrates how every small discovery feeds into the larger goal of solving the centuries-old Oak Island mystery.

Cast featured in this episode include Gary Drayton, Craig Tester, Rick Lagina, Laird Niven, and Emma Culligan.