A team conducting excavations on a geological formation in Turkey has conducted an age analysis on rock and soil samples found at the site.
The findings suggest that the vessel may have been present at the same time as the Great Flood described in the Bible, which occurred approximately 5,000 years ago.
The project, initiated in 2021, is ongoing, with the preliminary analysis revealing clayey and marine materials and evidence of seafood in the samples. These findings indicate human activity in the boat-shaped mound dating back to a period between 5500 and 3000 BC.
According to biblical accounts, following a 150-day flood that submerged the Earth and all living creatures that were not sheltered within the ark, the vessel came to rest on the 'mountains of Ararat' in Turkey.
The geological formation located in the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı, Turkey, has been considered a potential site since its discovery in 1956. The mountain is the highest peak in Turkey, towering at 16,500 feet and shaped similarly to an ark.
The dimensions of the ark, as stated in the Bible, were '300 cubits, 50 cubits, by 30 cubits,' which corresponds to around 515 feet in length, 86 feet in width, and 52 feet in height.
An expert team consisting of researchers from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), Andrew University, and Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University (AİÇÜ) have been diligently working at the site for nearly a year. They've been collecting samples they believe could potentially validate the biblical narrative.
The initial phase of their work, commencing in December 2022, involved the collection of 30 rock and soil fragments, which were subsequently analyzed in the ITU laboratory.
According to Professor Faruk Kaya, Vice Rector of AİÇÜ, saying: 'According to the first findings obtained from the studies, there have been human activities in the region since the Chalcolithic period between the years 5500 and 3000 BC.
'It is known that the flood of Prophet Noah went back 5,000 years ago.
'In terms of dating, it is stated that there was life in this region as well. This was revealed in the laboratory results.
'It is not possible to say that the ship is here with the dating. We need to work for a long time to reveal this.'
However, Dr. Andrew Snelling, a young Earth creationist with a Ph.D. from the University of Sydney, has argued against Mount Ararat being the ark's location, asserting that the mountain's formation occurred after the flood waters receded.
It's important to note that the story of Noah's Ark is considered a historical event, but most scholars and archaeologists do not interpret it literally.
In the biblical account, God instructs Noah to construct a vast ship, the ark, to save himself, his family, and a representation of the world's animals from a great cleansing flood, which was a result of human wickedness and corruption.
Upon completing the ark and populating it with animals, the floodwaters rose until all mountains were covered, ultimately destroying all life on Earth, except for aquatic creatures.
