Is this proof that Noah’s Ark really did exist? Pottery fragments found near last resting place of biblical boat suggest region WAS settled by humans at time of Great Flood

Ceramic shards found near a site believed to be the final resting place of Noah’s Ark may prove that the biblical boat actually existed.

According to Turkish media, Prof. from Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University. Dr. Faruk Kaya said that the pieces were found in the Doğubayazıt location on Türkiye’s Mount Ararat, close to the alleged Ark outline.

The pieces were unearthed during road construction near the Durupınar Formation in Ağrı, the boat-shaped geological structure that has been at the center of Noah’s Ark claims for decades.

Academics participating in the study said the ceramic material points to human activities in the region during the Chalcolithic period, roughly between 5500 BC and 3000 BC; this time period is associated by some scholars and believers with the period traditionally associated with the biblical figure of Noah.

Prof. Dr. Kaya said, ‘Ceramic pieces were found in the Chalcolithic period, B.C. It shows that there was human activity in this region between 5500 and 3000 BC.’

The new revelations have also led to renewed calls for the site to be formally protected, amid concerns that visitors are removing stones and fragments as souvenirs.

Prof. Dr. Kaya said, ‘This formation and its surroundings must be protected, and the removal of stones, rocks or similar materials from the area must be prevented.’

He warned that tourists were taking material from the site, including stones with markings, and could potentially cause damage to what researchers believe is an important archaeological and religious heritage site.

The fragments were unearthed near the Durupınar Formation, a boat-shaped geological structure in Ağrı province that has been at the center of Noah’s Ark claims for decades.

According to Turkish media, Prof Dr Faruk Kaya (pictured) from Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University said that the fragments were found close to the alleged Ark outline at the Doğubayazıt site on Türkiye’s Mount Ararat.

The Durupınar Formation was first detected by Turkish survey engineer Captain İlhan Durupınar, who noticed the structure while mapping Eastern Anatolia on a Turkish Armed Forces plane on September 11, 1959.

Heavy rain and earthquakes later eroded the surrounding soil, further revealing the outline of the formation.

The structure has long attracted attention for its boat-like shape and its proximity to Mount Ararat, the highest peak in Türkiye, which has been associated with the Ark in Christian tradition for centuries.

The Bible’s Book of Genesis states that Noah’s Ark ran aground on the ‘Mountains of Ararat’ after a flood that submerged the Earth for 150 days.

Biblical measurements describe the Ark as being 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high; some researchers claim that these dimensions largely correspond to the scale of the Durupınar site.

Prof Dr Kaya said the dating of the pottery was largely consistent with traditional estimates of Noah’s life.

‘This period roughly corresponds to the period in which the Prophet Noah is believed to have lived,’ he said.

Scientific interest in the region has intensified in recent years.

The Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark Research Team was officially established in 2022, by bringing together geophysics, chemistry and geoarchaeology experts in cooperation with Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University and Istanbul Technical University.

Rock and soil samples taken from the formation were analyzed in laboratories of Istanbul Technical University.

The results show that it was possible for human life to have been sustained in the region from the Chalcolithic period onwards, providing further basis for the claim that it could be a real-life Biblical site, the researchers said.

The pottery shards discovered during recent road works are considered a remarkable development, with ceramics considered by archaeologists to be one of the clearest indicators of human habitation.

Prof. Dr. Stating that the formation is unique in both scale and shape, Kaya said, “There is no such structure detected anywhere else in the world.”

He also expressed concern about natural threats to the area, warning that landslides – especially during spring rains – erode both sides of the formation and accelerate damage.

Prof. Dr. Kaya argued that a special Noah’s Ark museum or research center should be established near Mount Ararat as part of broader conservation efforts, and that similar themed tourist attractions already exist in countries such as the USA, the Netherlands and Hong Kong.