Researchers examining a formation in eastern Turkey that some people believe could be Noah’s Ark say they have recovered charred wood fragments from deep underground. The pieces have been sent for laboratory testing, but their age and origin have not yet been established.
The Noah’s Ark Research Project, which includes researchers affiliated with Turkish universities, has spent the past year collecting soil samples at the Durupınar site near Mount Ararat. The boat-shaped formation was identified in 1959 and has since attracted speculation about a possible link to the biblical vessel.
Geologists have challenged that claim. In a 1996 paper, Lorence Gene Collins and David Franklin Fasold argued that the formation was a natural rock structure. Research at the site is continuing, however, with a university-backed effort using deep-core drilling, ground-penetrating radar and laboratory analysis.
Radar surveys by scientist Khosrow Bakhtar have reportedly revealed patterns that the project says could represent chambers and corridors beneath the formation, which is about 515 feet long. Researchers are also analyzing hundreds of soil and core samples.
Photos released by the team show several dark, cracked fragments it describes as charred wood. Some appear to have grain patterns and growth rings. Archaeologist Cenker Atila, who is overseeing the investigation, said the fragments were recovered about 30 feet below the surface.
Atila, a professor at Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey, said he considers the pieces very old, though test results are not yet available. The fragments have been sent for carbon-14 dating and identification of the wood species.
Atila said several features of the formation have led him to consider a possible connection to Noah’s Ark, including its shape, location and dimensions. He also said the formation appears to have three levels, which he compared with descriptions of the Ark in religious texts. Carbon levels inside the formation are reportedly higher than those outside it.
“Too many coincidences have come together to be ignored,” Atila said, adding that he would leave it to readers to assess the evidence. He acknowledged that key questions remain, including whether the apparent rooms and corridors are part of a vessel, whether the wood fragments came from it, and whether soil testing will reveal traces of people or animals.
Lauren Witzke, the project’s director of marketing and fundraising, said the wood discovery could challenge the idea that the formation is entirely geological. She said the research is being carried out with Turkish oversight, documented sample-handling procedures and independent laboratory testing.
Witzke said the samples had been sent to four laboratories in four countries. The team hopes to continue its work with further excavation in 2027, pending results and additional permits. She said the researchers believe there is a good chance they will be able to excavate next year.
The project is funded through crowdfunding, and its organizers say they plan to share test results and other findings as the work proceeds. Witzke said the team has faced scrutiny for releasing evidence before all testing is complete, but intends to make confirmed results public.
Andrew Jones, the project’s lead researcher, has previously said there is still considerable work to do before drawing conclusions. He said he believes the biblical account but understands why others remain skeptical, and hopes people will follow the research as results come in.
