Persistent Claims of a Hoax

gjb

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I fail to understand why claims of a hoax need enter so prominently into the discussion. There’s something unexplained about Oak Island, particularly the investment of huge effort at Smith’s Cove and, from early reports, the backfilling of the Money Pit with platforms to prevent collapse.

People planting small finds as a hoax of sorts to encourage investment is one thing, but a massive conspiracy to fabricate reports and evidence (huge quantities of fibre etc.) is much harder to swallow. Something needs explaining about the major early discoveries, and ‘hoax’ just fails to fit the bill.

I find it difficult to believe that any irrefutable evidence could be produced to prove that the engineering work at Smith’s Cove was all a hoax. When was the hoax perpetrated, and by whom? Facts, please, not theories.

As there are things unexplained here we appear to be presented with a mystery. When faced with a mystery one either chooses to ignore it or attempts to make inroads into it. So, by all means ignore it, but why demand that others acknowledge it all as a hoax, as if this be a demonstrable fact?

It’s my view that no amount of untestable speculation is likely to come up with a scrap of evidence to make inroads into solving the mystery. I happen to believe that the answer may well lie on the ground, and maybe one of the problems is that nobody wants to develop hypotheses concerning the ground features and then to test them.

There appears to be nothing structured about Marty’s and Rick’s efforts. They’re as disjointed as the programme that features them. They’re just covering old ground and putting new spin on old tales. It’s hardly surprising they feel obliged to ‘introduce’ unproductive story lines. They simply refuse to search for and look at new and potentially productive leads.

People hammer Petter Amundsen’s efforts, but at least he was trying to achieve something, and actually made a number of discoveries as a result of testing his hypothesis. His reasoning may have been suspect - so come up with the right one, one that can be tested!

If the answer does lie on the ground then it’s not surprising that nobody has found anything in 200 years of exploration - they’re simply not investigating the obvious. That doesn't make it all a hoax, and the claim certainly doesn't need to be stated a thousand times over.
 

bigscoop

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I think that when there exist absolutely not one iota of credible evidence that it is anything other then a man made hole in the ground that all of the claims of hoax are easily justified. Add to this that there is absolutely not one iota of credible evidence that this hole had anything at all to do with Templars, buried treasure, and all of that other wild man made speculation and sensationalism. The truth is, sure, they're investigating the origin of a man made hole, which is fine, but as "alleged" professionals, when they start inserting all of this other manufactured sensationalism it sort of destroys all credibility because they have not one single piece of founded credible evidence for doing so. So even though you may believe that anything is possible, I don't understand why you question those who feel it is a hoax because they've actually got more supporting evidence in feeling that way then those who are buying into all of the manufactured sensationalisms and current Oak Island drama. Just saying......
 

Robot

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"Any Thing Is Possible"...Hey...That's My Cue!

anything is possible

There are strange things done under an Acadian sun

by the Pirates who bury their gold...

Oak Island’s shores have their own secret lores

that would make your blood run cold...

The Island’s lights have shown such sights,

but the strangest there ever will be...

Is when treasures abound, are the treasures found

proving anything's possible... you see!


Pirates treasure.jpg
 

Tiredman

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Want a good laugh research the past experts. Once you find it you have to admit it.
 

bigscoop

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I think folks need to ask themselves if the show is a sincere search for the truth of the origin of the hole, or, is the show a made for TV drama about a bunch of armatures looking for treasure?

There exist many possible perfectly reasonable answers behind that hole at Oak Island that don't include things like treasure, Templars, etc., so if this show is truly a search for the truth then why are none of these being pursued with equal zest? I think, along with other telling questions, that this provides accurate answer to the first question above. It's not about finding the truth, it's about finding an alleged treasure. Always has been.
 

ECS

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...
People hammer Petter Amundsen’s efforts, but at least he was trying to achieve something, and actually made a number of discoveries as a result of testing his hypothesis. His reasoning may have been suspect ...
What was he really trying to achieve?
Its not his reasoning that is suspect, but his findings, which are not accepted as anything but fabricated speculation by the professional academic community.
"Petter Amundsen...is practicing a falsification of history"-Inger Mgrete Hobbelstad
 

Singlestack Wonder

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The oak island (currently lagina) hoax continues to fool some.......PT Barnum would be impressed.....
 

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One thing that everybody doesn't understand is that television shows are made for entertainment and to make money by running commercials on TV. Theyre there for strictly that reason.ENTERTAINMENT.Like every other massed produced reality show made to keep the masses of dumbazzes entertained and spell bound.T he longer a show can be dragged out the more money it makes.Its not called an idiot box for nothing.:laughing7:Carry on.
 

Tom Slikes53

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am with you gjb, these kind of people will always be with us, just like gnats on a summers eve. Obviously something went on at that island, many of these finds would have been a find of a lifetime to most metal detecting enthusiasts on this side of the atlantic.
 

Charlie P. (NY)

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Oak Island may or may not have something to offer yet undiscovered.

The TV show "The Curse of Oak Island" on the other hand, presents itself as a real treasure hunt rather than a scripted "adventure" that may or may not have any intention of finding what is there. The show is a hoax. The island is just a legend they could get access to. If it were for real they would video document the search and then release it AFTER the find was made.

Now it is winding down and they will switch to the Great Lakes for another hoax hunt.
 

bigscoop

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Exactly, it has nothing to so with a search for any actual truth, it is all geared around, "treasure hunting dramas for entertainment." If they were actually looking for the truth then they would bring in credible independent professional resources to guide them and to advise them. Oak Island is fizzling out, the hoax is starting to come clear, time to move on to a new treasure drama so it can be done all over again.

Honestly, I have more respect for the guy who just bought his first detector because at least he knows the pieces of lost treasure he's pursuing are real and that they actually exist. The same goes for just about everyone who metal detects or shoots for nuggets, "they know the treasures they are pursuing are real and that they exist." They are, in fact, "real treasure hunters." They're not trying to create an unfounded treasure tale in order to lay that claim. :icon_thumleft:
 

gazzahk

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am with you gjb, these kind of people will always be with us, just like gnats on a summers eve. Obviously something went on at that island, many of these finds would have been a find of a lifetime to most metal detecting enthusiasts on this side of the atlantic.
That is an interesting claim.. So far they have found with their metal detecting a few old near worthless coins, some old metal spikes/nails, a piece of lead that is cross shaped, an old toy gun and a piece of old jewelry that may or may not contain an old ruby. If that represents a metal detectors 'find of a lifetime' then I feel for those buying metal detectors....
 

gazzahk

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The "hoax" claim is in my view coming from the Lagians not being honest with the audience... I do not believe that they believe treasure is still buried in the pit... I along with others agree if they really wished to answer the mystery surrounding oak Island they would explore the non treasure related explanations for Smith Cove. For example invite Joy Steel on the show to share and explain her Naval Stores theory. They will invite on any Looney that has a treasure theory but will not discuss any non treasure related explanations.

They also lie about things. ie they claimed mercury was found in the pit. There is no evidence supporting this. Mercury was found on the island but no where near the pit...

They claim the lead is "One of the most significant finds ever on OI" They keep calling it a "Medieval cross" and yet it has been weeks now and they have had zero experts check it out and zero testing done. Nothing at all to support these claims... Why?

A Hoax is an attempt to deceive... The Lagians are now attempting to deceive.. I agree that they did not start out this way but are now engaged in a deception....
 

n2mini

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Keep in mind there are the families that claim the treasure has already been found.. Also I think the brothers have had to learn to play along with the show as it is free money from them and the town to help pay for some of their searching. It's easy for us to sit here and say we would not do that but till your in their shoes, spending tons of money searching for your life long dream treasure it's hard to say we would not play along as well..
 

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Singlestack Wonder

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Keep in mind there are the families that claim the treasure has already been found.. Also I think the brothers have had to learn to play along with the show as it is free money from them and the town to help pay for some of their searching. It's easy for us to sit here and say we would not do that but till your in their shoes, spending tons of money searching for your life long dream treasure it's hard to say we would not play along as well..

Why the do the families not come forward and present their factual evidence?
 

bigscoop

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Keep in mind there are the families that claim the treasure has already been found.. Also I think the brothers have had to learn to play along with the show as it is free money from them and the town to help pay for some of their searching. It's easy for us to sit here and say we would not do that but till your in their shoes, spending tons of money searching for your life long dream treasure it's hard to say we would not play along as well..

True story; a few years back we were in talks with a production company about a show where we investigated the origins of these various legends, even planned to go on some hunts as part of the story lines. At first it was all going rather well but then the production company, at request of the major network, wanted us to start adding more human drama, even to the point that they wanted us to start creating arguments between us, stuff like that, also wanted us to play more to the possible treasure aspect being potentially real. It was at that point that we said, "NO!" You see, we wanted to keep things real, factual, etc., they didn't. So we decided to set out to shoot our own pilots, and it was shortly after that when I had my widow maker so we never got to do that. But the point is simply this, "it's all about entertainment." PERIOD! We just weren't willing to trade in our integrity to provide that. Some are, which is fine if that's what you're really after in life. Really easy to get sucked into all of that but is it really what you had set out to do? We wanted to investigate the origins of these legends, they wanted us to keep those legends, and the possibility of those treasures, alive.
 

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Singlestack Wonder

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True story; a few years back we were in talks with a production company about a show where we investigated the origins of these various legends, even planned to go on some hunts as part of the story lines. At first it was all going rather well but then the production company, at request of the major network, wanted us to start adding more human drama, even to the point that they wanted us to start creating arguments between us, stuff like that, also wanted us to play more to the possible treasure aspect being potentially real. It was at that point that we said, "NO!" You see, we wanted to keep things real, factual, etc., they didn't. So we decided to set out to shoot our own pilots, and it was shortly after that when I had my widow maker so we never got to do that. But the point is simply this, "it's all about entertainment." PERIOD! We just weren't willing to trade in our integrity to provide that. Some are, which is fine if that's what you're really after in life. Really easy to get sucked into all of that but is it really what you had set out to do? We wanted to investigate the origins of these legends, they wanted us to keep those legends, and the possibility of those treasures, alive.

Good for you! Credibility over dollars....
 

bigscoop

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Good for you! Credibility over dollars....

It wasn't even about dollars as some of these planned excursions were even after things like large nuggets, etc., things that actually exist. But they wanted more human drama, more grandiose, etc. In other words it just started to become something totally fake. I get it, they are after the widest audience possible, but faking it to do that just seemed wrong to us, and besides, we were actually thinking that keeping it real would be a much better option. But they know showbiz better, I suppose, and I'm sure it's all about the numbers for them.
 

franklin

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One fact remains the shaft was there and constructed by the best of engineers of their time. Who did all this work in a desolate location, the New World was just being settled. We then have to look to the people that were in charge of the colonization and there we will find the answers. Surely Indians or pirates did not do this construction? Who layed out five stones, weighing 8 to 10 tons each, in a perfect Cross formation and has just lately been proven to be a "Tree of Life" by Peter Amundsen and the latest technology gps of our time.
 

bigscoop

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One fact remains the shaft was there and constructed by the best of engineers of their time. Who did all this work in a desolate location, the New World was just being settled. We then have to look to the people that were in charge of the colonization and there we will find the answers. Surely Indians or pirates did not do this construction? Who layed out five stones, weighing 8 to 10 tons each, in a perfect Cross formation and has just lately been proven to be a "Tree of Life" by Peter Amundsen and the latest technology gps of our time.

When you toss Peter Amundsen into the discussion then "anything becomes possible." He is very creative. But when people want to believe in such conclusions then they are going to create ways to continue believing "despite the contrary evidences." So not even any real point to trying to present or debate those contrary evidences with them. "There are many perfectly reasonable explanations for that hole at Oak Island. Why have these people never entertained them with equal consideration?" Because they want to believe in something fantastical.
 

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