Oak Island Season 14: Two iron objects discovered between Lot 4 and Lot 5 have opened an unexpected historical question on Oak Island.
At first glance, they appeared to be ordinary remnants of an earlier period of activity.
But when Emma Culligan brought advanced CT technology into the investigation, the analysis revealed something that caught the attention of the team: similarities between the iron composition and samples associated with a settlement in Maine connected to Sir William Phips.
Rick Lagina believes the possibility deserves further investigation.
Could these forgotten metal objects help identify who was once active on Oak Island?

TWO IRON OBJECTS THAT RAISED AN UNEXPECTED QUESTION
The latest investigation in Season 14 took an interesting turn when Gary Drayton uncovered two iron objects in the area of the slipway between Lot 4 and Lot 5.
Among the discoveries were an iron nail and a much larger, hand-forged iron spike.
Neither object immediately revealed its full historical significance.
Iron nails and spikes were commonly used in earlier construction projects, meaning their presence could have several possible explanations.
They might have belonged to an old structure, equipment used during previous activity on the island, or materials transported to the location long before the current search began.
However, their discovery in the same general area made the objects worth examining more closely.

For the Lagina team, the challenge was not simply determining whether the objects were old.
The more important question was where the iron originated and whether its characteristics could provide clues about the people who brought it to Oak Island.
That distinction matters.
An old iron object can establish that metalworking or construction materials were present at a particular location, but identifying the people responsible requires much stronger evidence.
This was precisely why Emma Culligan’s examination became such an important part of the investigation.
Instead of relying only on the objects’ outward appearance, the team had an opportunity to investigate their internal structure and composition.
And the results introduced a historical name that could make these seemingly ordinary discoveries far more interesting.
EMMA CULLIGAN’S CT ANALYSIS BRINGS SIR WILLIAM PHIPS INTO THE PICTURE
Emma Culligan used CT technology to examine the internal structure of the recovered iron objects.
This allowed the investigation to move beyond their visible surfaces and consider characteristics that might otherwise have remained unnoticed.
The particularly interesting detail emerged when the iron composition was compared with samples associated with a settlement in Maine connected to Sir William Phips.
The similarities immediately raised a new possibility.
Sir William Phips is a historical figure whose name carries considerable significance in the history of early colonial North America.
His connection to Maine provides a potential historical reference point when examining materials that may have originated during earlier periods of activity in the region.
For Oak Island researchers, this comparison creates an intriguing avenue of investigation.
If the recovered iron shares meaningful characteristics with materials from that historical setting, could it suggest a connection between the island and people or activities associated with that period?
Rick Lagina appeared interested in precisely this possibility.
Rather than dismissing the comparison as an insignificant coincidence, he considered the potential connection worthy of further research.
But there is an important distinction between a similarity and proof of origin.
The CT examination provided valuable information about the objects, while the comparison offered a possible historical direction.
It did not establish that Sir William Phips personally visited Oak Island, that his associates worked there, or that the iron objects belonged to an expedition connected to him.
There are also other explanations that cannot yet be ruled out.
Similar iron compositions could reflect broader manufacturing practices, shared sources of raw materials, or the movement of objects between different locations.
This is where the discovery becomes more complicated.
If the similarities are meaningful, the team may have identified a historical connection worth pursuing.
If they are simply the result of common iron production methods, the objects could tell a much less specific story.
The next challenge is determining which explanation the evidence can actually support.
COULD THESE OBJECTS HELP IDENTIFY WHO WAS ON OAK ISLAND?
The potential importance of Emma’s analysis extends beyond two recovered iron objects.
For years, the Oak Island mystery has involved questions about who may have visited the island, when they arrived, and what activities could have taken place there before the modern treasure hunt began.
A connection to historical iron samples from Maine would introduce another geographical and historical avenue for investigating those questions.
The discovery also highlights why seemingly modest artifacts can become important pieces of a much larger investigation.
A nail or an iron spike may not look particularly remarkable when compared with the possibility of a buried treasure chamber or an elaborate underground tunnel.
Yet objects like these can provide evidence about construction methods, material origins, and the movement of people and supplies.

If further testing eventually establishes a stronger relationship between the Oak Island iron and the Maine samples, researchers could have a more specific historical lead to investigate.
That might help narrow the timeline of activity on the island and provide new questions about the individuals or groups who could have been involved.
However, the evidence still has important limitations.
Similarity in iron composition alone cannot identify a specific person, prove a direct historical relationship, or establish that the objects were connected to a particular expedition.
Additional comparisons, historical records, archaeological context, and a clearer understanding of where the objects were originally used would be needed before making such conclusions.
For Rick Lagina and the rest of the team, the value of this discovery may therefore lie in the direction it opens rather than an answer it has already provided.
The question now reaches beyond the identity of the two objects themselves.
If their composition really does point toward a historical connection with Maine, what other materials or artifacts on Oak Island might share that same origin?
And perhaps the most compelling question of all: could the iron found between Lot 4 and Lot 5 eventually help reveal the identity of the people who were working on Oak Island long before the Laginas began their search?