Researchers studying a boat-shaped formation in Turkey say that new data increases the likelihood that the formation, originally dismissed as a geological anomaly, is a man-made structure that appears to match the Biblical description of Noah’s Ark.

The new data from the location, known as the “Durupinar site,” was acquired during filming for an episode of “Forbidden History” on the Science Channel.

The episode follows Andrew Jones, a researcher who says he has studied the site since the early 1990s while he was in middle school and now lives in Turkey so he can continue his investigation of the site.

It concludes with showing ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys being conducted at the site by the Oregon-based Topa 3D. The operators of the equipment, who were neutral on the topic and did not even know about the Durupinar site previously, were surprised at the results.

The scans showed parallel lines and angular shapes, which are strong indications of man-made construction, inside the formation between 8 and 20 feet below the surface. The patterns appeared to resemble rooms, possibly underneath a deck-like platform.

“This is not what you would expect to see if this site is just a solid block of rock or an accumulation of random debris from a mudflow. But they are what you would expect to see if this is a man-made boat matching the Biblical requirements of Noah’s Ark,” Jones said.

The GPR results are new, compelling evidence that should force a reconsideration of the site by skeptics who dismissed it long ago, according to Ryan Mauro, President of the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, producer of the viral film Finding the Mountain of Moses: The Real Mount Sinai in Saudi Arabia.

Mauro, who is often seen on Fox News Channel and other media outlets as an international security analyst, says that he previously believed that the Durupinar site had been debunked.

The scans convinced him to join Jones’ project.

“I knew that the scientific consensus was that the Durupinar site is a geological oddity. Before learning about these scans, it seemed like those who continued to argue in favor of the Durupinar site just couldn’t accept the truth and let it go,” Mauro explained.

Mauro listed five data points that align the site with Noah’s Ark and make it difficult to assume that the matching features are purely coincidental:

1. The length that exactly matches the Noah’s Ark description (the exact height and width are yet to be determined, but appear to match the dimensions at this preliminary stage);
2. The possible three layers shown in the scans, matching the Biblical description of the boat having three decks;
3. Its location in the mountains of Ararat, where the Bible says the Ark came to rest;
4. The local tradition that calls the spot “Mount Judi,” which Islam teaches is the exact landing spot within the mountains of Ararat;
5. The distinct boat-shaped formation inside the earthflow could preserve such a man-made object.

“It’s a whole new ballgame now. Those judgments dismissing the site were made decades ago and based on limited data compared to what we have now. As I learned more, I became convinced that the project was worth my support and that it is vital that we determine the truth about the Durupinar site,” he said.

The site was originally discovered in 1959 by Turkish army captain Ilhan Durupinar, who noticed the boat formation in aerial photographs of the area by the Turkish military. His discovery resulted in a brief period of international interest in the site.

The Durupinar site was later visited in person by controversial researcher Ron Wyatt in the 1970s through the 1990s. His findings in favor of the site being Noah’s Ark caused other researchers, archaeologists, and scientists to examine the site.

Jones, Mauro’s Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, and a team of Turkish scientists are now hoping to conduct groundbreaking scientific work on the site and have already acquired the necessary permit.

They have launched a website about the project, NoahsArkScans.com.

Donors are offered various gifts, with top donors having a commemorative plaque placed inside the Visitor’s Center adjacent to the Durupinar site to document their role in the event of potentially historical importance.

For the project’s fundraising campaign please visit here: https://doubtingthomasresearch.com/noahs-ark-project/

The studies, Jones and Mauro say, are also necessary for the preservation of the site and eventually, a full excavation if the evidence justifies it.

“The scientists explained that the Durupinar site is now suffering from erosion so severe that there’s more visible damage every year. This means we’re in a race against time,” Jones warned.

Media files that can be used with this press release: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/corbvd33w3fur1n/AAC0mrBU8hnwtAGp90pjY1Yra?dl=0

Credit for media should be “NoahsArkScans.com”