Archaeology & History

Researchers are planning to excavate rumored site of Noah's Ark

By T.K. Randall
April 9, 2025

Image: Durupinar Formation
Credit: Zorka Sojka / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Situated approximately 3km north of the Iranian border and around 6,500ft above sea level, the site - which for years has been hailed by some as the final resting place of the ark itself - could soon be at the center of a significant new archaeological excavation.

Researchers from California-based firm Noah's Ark Scans are hoping to prove once and for all that the Durupinar Formation really is the biblical vessel built by Noah at the time of the Old Testament.

"The location lies in an active earth flow with harsh winters, so protecting the area is our top priority," researcher Andrew Jones told The Sun.

"Over the next few years, our Turkish university partners will conduct non-destructive tests like soil sampling, radar scans, and other methods to determine if the structures we've detected are truly man-made or simply natural formations."

"Only after we gather enough evidence and have a proper preservation plan in place will we consider excavating."Some experts are already convinced that the site really is the petrified remains of the ark.

Earlier this year, a new study found evidence to link the formation to the story of Noah in the form of clues indicating that the entire region was underwater at the time of the biblical Great Flood.

30 samples of soil and rock from the site were analyzed and determined to contain clay-like materials, marine deposits and even traces of small shellfish dating back around 3,500 - 5,000 years.

"Our studies show that this region harboured life in that period and that, at some point, it was covered by water, which reinforces the possibility that a catastrophic event of great magnitude occurred," the international team of researchers wrote at the time.

As things stand, however, there is still no "smoking gun" confirming that this really is Noah's Ark.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Noah