The location of Noah’s Ark has been something archaeologists and historians have speculated about for decades.
Now, pottery fragments have sparked fresh excitement and provided potential proof that the alleged final resting place of the ark was indeed settled by humans at the time of the flood.
Prof Dr Faruk Kaya, of Agri Ibrahim Cecen University, said pottery pieces were found close to the alleged Ark outline at the Dogubayazit site on Turkey’s Mount Ararat.
The fragments were uncovered during road construction near the Durupinar Formation in Agri province, a boat-shaped geological structure that has been at the centre of Noah’s Ark claims for decades.
The ceramics point to human activity in the region between 5500 BC and 3000 BC, a timeframe that some scholars and believers associate with the era traditionally linked to the Biblical figure of Noah.
The fresh revelations have also prompted renewed calls for the site to be formally protected, amid concerns that visitors are removing stones and fragments as souvenirs.
Dr Kaya said: ‘This formation and its surroundings must be protected, and the removal of stones, rocks or similar material from the site must be prevented.’
He warned that tourists had been taking material from the area, including stones bearing markings, potentially damaging what researchers believe is an important archaeological and religious heritage site.
The Durupinar Formation was first identified in 1959 by Captain Ilhan Durupinar. Heavy rain and earthquakes later eroded the surrounding earth, exposing more of the formation’s outline.
The structure has long drawn attention because of its boat-like shape and its proximity to Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest peak, which has been associated with the Ark in Christian tradition for centuries.
The Bible’s Book of Genesis states that Noah’s Ark came to rest on the ‘mountains of Ararat’ after a flood that submerged the Earth for 150 days.
Biblical measurements describe the Ark as 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high, dimensions that some researchers argue broadly correspond to the scale of the Durupinar site.
Prof Dr Kaya said the dating of the pottery broadly aligned with traditional estimates of Noah’s lifetime.
Scientific interest in the area has intensified in recent years. The Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark Research Team was formally established in 2022 through a collaboration between Agri Ibrahim Cecen University and Istanbul Technical University, bringing together experts in geophysics, chemistry and geoarchaeology.
Rock and soil samples collected from the formation were analysed in laboratories at Istanbul Technical University.
Researchers said the results indicated that sustained human life in the region was possible from the Chalcolithic period onwards, adding further basis to the claim that it could be the real-life Biblical site.
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