Researchers Drill into Turkey's 'Noah's Ark' Site Amidst Biblical Mystery Claims

Drilling has commenced at the Durupinar formation in eastern Turkey, a site long speculated to be the resting place of Noah's Ark. The expedition, known as Noah’s Ark Scans, is employing an underground robot to explore the boat-shaped geological feature.

Lauren Witzke, the project's marketing and fundraising director, described the undertaking in a recent update. Witzke, a former Senate candidate known for her controversial views including support for QAnon and identifying as a "flat-earther," stated that the expedition has received Turkish government approval and oversight from local universities. She expressed a strong belief that the findings will be significant, claiming, "When we are done, university curricula will need to be rewritten, and Darwinism will be dismantled."

The Durupinar formation was first identified in 1959 through aerial photography. Early local investigations involving surveying, digging, and dynamiting yielded no archaeological evidence, leading many geologists to conclude it is a natural landform sculpted by erosion, composed of limestone and volcanic clay.

Historical Investigations

Interest in the site resurfaced in the 1980s when American salvage expert David Fasold used ground-penetrating radar. Fasold asserted that the formation was the fossilized remains of the Ark's upper deck, noting its length of approximately 164 meters, close to the biblical measurement of 300 cubits (157 meters). He also pointed to large carved stones, termed "drogue stones," located northwest of the site, suggesting they were ancient sea anchors. Skeptics, however, regard these stones as memorial markers or tombstones. Despite initial convictions, Fasold later publicly disavowed the ark theory, though his biographer claimed he died believing he had found it.

Current Expedition Goals

The Noah's Ark Scans expedition reports mapping potential corridors and chambers beneath the surface, with one noted to extend over 250 feet. The current phase involves drilling narrow cores into these areas and deploying a robot named "Gopher." Developed by Australian engineer Dr. Robert Ross, Gopher is designed to capture high-resolution footage and collect soil samples from subterranean spaces. Dr. Ross adapted designs from robots previously used to explore animal burrows.

The project aimed to raise $600,000 to fund the drilling operations. As of Tuesday, fundraising had reportedly generated only a fraction of the target amount, though Witzke shared drone footage suggesting drilling had already begun. The expedition faces a race against time, as the onset of winter could freeze the ground, halting operations until the following year. The group believes their research could definitively resolve the long-standing debate surrounding the Durupinar formation.