No, Archaeologists Haven’t Found Noah’s Ark

What the latest scans actually show, and why this story refuses to disappear

The Durupınar Formation in eastern Turkey has attracted speculation about Noah’s Ark for decades. New investigations are underway, but the evidence remains preliminary. Photo: Wikkiwooki/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Noah’s Ark has apparently been found again.

This time, the headlines concern a remarkable boat-shaped formation in eastern Turkey that has been attracting Ark hunters for decades. New underground scans have reportedly detected angular features, layers and possible voids beneath the surface. Researchers have drilled into the site, hundreds of samples have been sent for laboratory analysis, and the Turkish authorities have formally approved a substantial programme of investigation.

If you only read some of the headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking the mystery is almost over.

Spoiler: It isn’t.

The site is called the Durupınar Formation, and I should probably say straight away that I find it fascinating. There really is a serious investigation taking place there. Scientists have spent months mapping the site, scanning beneath the surface and collecting samples. There may genuinely be things underneath it that deserve further explanation.

But nobody has found Noah’s Ark, and I think the distance between those two statements may be the most interesting part of the story.