In 1959, stereo photos where taken by a Turkish airline pilot of a boat shaped object on the mountains of Ararat for The Geodetic Institute of Turkey. Dr. Brandenburger of Ohio State University, USA, after studying the photographs concluded, "I have no doubt at all, that this object is a ship. In my entire career, I have never seen an object like this on a stereo photograph." Dr. Brandenburger was a photogrammetry expert who had discovered the missile bases in Cuba, during the Kennedy era.
An American team ran a day and a half expedition to the site, hardly enough time to carry out any scientific testing. They blew a hole in the side of the structure with dynamite, although some timber shaped stones were revealed, their conclusion was, "Nothing of any archaeological interest". If this object was Noah's Ark, it would be approximately 4400 years old so the wood would have petrified. So finding timber shaped stone was encouraging evidence. However, because the material had no growth rings, the team decided it could not be wood. But does this really prove true? The conditions of the world before the Biblical flood, were very different from now. The Bible says, "...for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth...But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground." (Gen 2: 5, 6). Growth rings in wood are caused by seasonal variations, so in a pre flood environment, with no seasonal variations, the trees would have no growth rings. And this is exactly what the American team found! In fact, if the material did have growth rings, it could not have been Noah's Ark.After seeing an article published in LIFE magazine covering the expedition, Ron Wyatt an amateur archaeologist, visited the site in 1977. His interest was aroused and he decided the structure deserved further investigation as to whether this could be Noah's Ark.
It lay 6,300 feet above sea level, much too high to be the remains of a boat from a local flood. It is over 200 miles from the nearest sea. The dimensions were consistent with the Biblical description of Noah's Ark in Gen. 6:15, measuring 300 cubits long. The width was greater than that mentioned in the Bible as the sides of the boat had splayed, which would be expected in a boat of that age.
Ground penetrating radar proved the boat to have three decks, the top two decks had collapsed leaving the bottom deck intact which contained 144 rooms. Walls, cavities, a door near the front, ramps, and two large round 'tank shapes' near to the bow were also located. The radar scan revealed four protrusions extending from the stern that were probably stabilizers.
Ron tested the material at Galbraith Laboratories in Knoxville, Tennessee and it proved to be laminated, petrified wood. Tests for carbon showed that samples from the site contained much higher carbon content than the surrounding area. The specimen from the site proved to be 4.95% carbon, while the specimen from the surrounding area, tested at 1.88%. Thus the specimen from the site had once been living matter. Such sophisticated alloys as iron, titanium and aluminium also proved to be present. With only a superficial inspection the rib timbers and deck joists are clearly visible along the entire length of the ship.
With the use of four types of different metal detectors, thousands of metal rivets were found on the site. Iron was found at regular intervals which made up a pattern of horizontal and vertical lines 'criss-crossing' the boat, demonstrating iron at the levels of each bulkhead. Conventional science teaches that the iron age far precedes the time of the flood, but the Bible in Genesis 4:22 says, "Tubalcain, [was] an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron". Iron nodules were also found in about 5400 places, which show linear patterns consistent with the shape of the hull.
In 1991, Greg Brewer, found a petrified antler in the side of the ark. As a result of a core drilling Ron found extinct rodent hair, petrified animal droppings and red human hair.All the expeditions have so far been to Mt. Ararat, but what does the Bible actually say about the resting place of Noah's Ark? Gen 8:4, "And the ark rested on the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. The Bible does not say the ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat, but on the mountain range of Ararat. That is exactly where we find this boat shaped object, it is located about fifteen miles south of Mt. Ararat.The names of the surrounding places are interestingly associated with the Biblical account of the flood. The valley is called 'The Valley of Eight', in reference to the eight survivors of the flood, Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives. A village in the valley translates to 'The Village of Eight', where several giant anchor stones can be found thousands of feet above sea level and hundreds of kilometers from the nearest sea. On the anchor stones there are carved Christian crosses from the crusader period, evidence that the crusaders also recognized the Christian significance of the anchor stones. There are thirteen of these anchor stones that all lie in direct line with the boat. So evidently, Noah cut them loose as the waters subsided and just before the ark came to rest.
Near to this village is another smaller village with a name that translates to 'The Crow will not Stand'. Undoubtedly, referring to when Noah released a raven from the ark. Another village is called 'Where the Oars were Reversed', again suggesting that a boat once passed over this area, where it began to slow down to its final resting place. The Turkish government has also sent their own archaeological team, who recovered four intact metal rods, each about four foot long. These are now in the possession of the Ministry of Mines and Minerals, in Turkey. They have officially dedicated the site as a national park declaring it to be the remains of Noah's Ark!