A supposed cast of Noah's ark in eastern Turkey

In eastern Turkey, the ark-shaped structure (called the Durupinar ark) likewise contains neither wood nor petrified wood. The absence of wood or petrified wood is indicated by collections of 12 samples of rock from inside the supposed ark (the “deck,” “walls,” and the top side-edge or gunnel of the boat) as well as outside the supposed ark in the “ribs” of the boat. David Fasold was told by other investigators at the site that these rock samples were petrified wood. I made thin sections of each sample, and none is petrified wood. All were volcanic basalt or andesite. Therefore, all that exists as evidence for Noah’s ark is the broad boat-shaped outline. This evidence is circumstantial because its 515-foot length matches the 300-Egyptian-cubit length of Noah’s ark (Fasold, 1988). Nevertheless, casts or impressions of former wood planking and beams of the ark might be expected to be present, as at Sutton Hoo, if this “ark-structure” is truly a remnant of Noah’s ark.