Could Noah's Ark remains be buried in Turkey? New findings revive age-old debate
A researcher who believes he's identified the remains of Noah's Ark points to new soil data to support his claims.
Andrew Jones, a researcher with Noah's Ark Scans, said in a recent appearance on "Fox & Friends" that the team believes a site in Turkey contains the buried remains of the biblical vessel.
The formation, located at the Durupinar site in eastern Turkey, has been studied since it was first identified in the 1950s — and has long been the subject of spirited debate.
Some geologists argue the "ark" is a naturally occurring formation — yet other researchers say the latest findings offer new support for the biblical vessel theory.
One source of the skepticism: A 1996 paper published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Geoscience Education argued the formation was a natural geological structure, not the remains of Noah's Ark.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Jones said he believes the new results "are perhaps the most compelling evidence for a man-made origin."
He added, "The differences between the 'inside' and 'outside' samples are statistically staggering. Organic matter was three times more inside the boat shape versus the soil just right outside."
That difference in organic matter, he said, suggests a "massive concentration of decayed carbon-based material" — such as wood, resin or animal matter.
ANCIENT ESTATE TIED TO GROUP IN THE BIBLE UNEARTHED WITH ‘FASCINATING’ TREASURES IN ISRAEL
But in the 1996 paper, authors Lorence Gene Collins and David Franklin Fasold described previous Noah's Ark claims as "bogus," writing that the site was instead "a natural rock structure."
The latest findings center on a newly released soil analysis, which researchers say points to chemical differences consistent with decayed organic material beneath the surface.
The soil samples were collected in 2024 and have been analyzed in the months since.
"If it was random mountainside earth that came down around a rock, then the soil would be the same," Jones said.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Researchers found 38% more potassium inside the boat shape, which is associated with wood ash, as well as an eight-times difference in pH level.
Jones said a radical shift in pH "suggests the internal environment has a different chemical history than the surrounding mountainside soil."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
"An eight-times difference in pH and three times the organic matter suggests a 'closed system' where biological materials decayed over time, leaching minerals into the surrounding earth and permanently altering its chemistry," he said.
The findings will likely fuel further debate over the Durupinar formation.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
But the new data, Jones said, "suggests an internal complexity that is difficult to attribute to natural geological processes."
Jones said the team is asking Turkish scientists to do further testing, including core drilling and advanced 3-D mapping.
Said Jones, "We’ve moved from asking 'Does it look like a boat?' to 'Why is there a three-layered, right-angled inside structure, carbon-rich boat formation the exact length of Noah's ark given in the Bible buried in the middle of a mountainside in the mountains of Ararat?'"
He has also pointed to scan data showing subsurface features within the formation.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Jones told "Fox & Friends" that research has shown "there are tunnels about four meters down and about two meters high, going down the center of the boat and on the inside edge of the hull shape.
"We really believe that this layout ... would suggest that it's a man-made object and not just a natural formation," he said.
Fox News Digital previously reported on Jones' earlier analyses of potential organic material and anomalies beneath the formation.
The research builds on previous 3-D ground penetrating radar scans from 2019 that "struck subsurface features," and found anomalies.
Max Bacall of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.