Archaeologists have long sought to explore the bible’s most famous stories – and a group of evangelical Christians were convinced that they had found the remains of Noah’s Ark.
They explored the Mount Ararat region of Turkey and said they were convinced they had found the remains of the famous biblical vessel. Turkish and Chinese explorers from a group called Noah’s Ark Ministries International said: “It’s not 100 percent that it is Noah’s ark, but we think it is 99.9 percent that this is it.”
The team also claimed to have found in 2007 and 2008 seven large wooden compartments buried at 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) above sea level, near the peak of Mount Ararat. They returned to the site with a film crew in October 2009. They added: “The structure is partitioned into different spaces.
“We believe that the wooden structure we entered is the same structure recorded in historical accounts.”
However, given that explorers regularly claim to have found Noah’s Ark – various experts expressed scepticism.
Paul Zimansky, an archaeologist specializing in the Middle East at Stony Brook University in New York State, said: “I don’t know of any expedition that ever went looking for the ark and didn’t find it.”
Biologist and director of the Center for Origins Research, Tom Wood also said he doubted the find.
Mr Wood, also a creationist, referred to radiocarbon dating and concluded that the wood found isn’t old enough.
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He said that “if you accept a young chronology for the Earth … then radiocarbon dating has to be reinterpreted” because the method often yields dates much older than 6,000 years.
Radiocarbon dating helps gauge the age of objects – and is generally thought to reach its limit with objects about 60,000 years old.
Wood continued: “I’m really, really skeptical that this could possibly be Noah’s Ark.” He said the wood date is “way, way, way too young.”
Mr Wood said he thought Noah’s ark will never be found, because “it would have been prime timber after the flood”.
He added: “If you just got off the ark, and there’s no trees, what are you going to build your house out of? You’ve got a huge boat made of wood, so let’s use that. “So I think it got torn apart and scavenged for building material basically.”
Scholars also concluded that the find was dubious because Genesis never specifies which peak the vessel supposedly landed on in Turkey.
In November last year – other explorers claimed they had found a mysterious ship-shaped object at Durupınar site.
Geologists rubbished the claim, saying that it was just an unusual mountain formation.
Cem Sertesen, who took pictures of the supposed discovery, said: “These are the actual images of Noah’s Ark.
“They are neither fake nor simulation. They show the entire ship buried underground.”
Really?