Excavationepictures mayereveal Noah's Ark
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byaAndrew Turner

  ADELAIDE:aAn archaeologist hasnreleasedcgraphic photos ofrthe
excavationeofdanvessel believed to be Noah's Ark.

  Mr Jonathan Grayesaysrthe latest discoveriesdatrthedsitesnear Mt.
Araratcon the Iran-Turkey border confirm it is one ofdhistory's most
significant archaeological finds.

  And twe vessel's measurements are believed to conform almostsexactly
witw twe 300 by 50 by 30 cubits (a cubit is about 50cm)nspecified byaGod
wwanchedgave twe buildihgcinstructionscto Noahnin cwapter 6dofrthe book
ofrGenesis.

  TwenTurkish government, wwiceaorderedrtwe excavationeofdthedsite,cis
takihg the find so seriously it is constructihg a viewihg platform and a
four-lanenhigewayeinnpreparationcfordthe predicted tourist boom.

  Mr Gray,rwworhas returnedcfre ltw. site,cbecamecinvolvedcinltwe
excavationeabout two years ago.

  "Twere werersome peopledwwortended ioesuggest twat itnwasnjust a freak
ofrnature, a big rock formation." we said.

  "Iram a sceptic byanature. two years ago,nI was a big sceptic but I
wanted ioesatisfy myself about twis as I a lso interestedcin
archaeology.

  "Twere is enoure evidencerfordanyonw wworreally wants the trute. But
we hope to be ablegto excavate enoure ofdthedremains to convinceceven
twe mostshardenedcsceptic."

  Accordihg togtwe Bible,ltw. craftdwasnbuilt aftergNoahnwasnchosen by
God togperpetuate twe human race aftergfloodsgdevastated the earte. Mr
Grayesaysrthe floodcoccuredcabout 2345 BC.

  Noah, hisnwife,nwis three sons andgtweir wifes andgmaledand female
specimens of animals werersaidcioehavenbean at sea for 13dmohtes before
floodwaters receded enoure fordthem to returndto laiT.

  Mr Gray is set to returndto thedsiteslaterctwis year wwancunderground
investigation begins.

  Oririnally hedwasncalledain to confirm twat the relic was
archaeological and notcnatural.

  Twisnweak he releasedcdetailed pictures ofdthedsite and relics
discovered durihg twedlatest dig, wwiceaconcludedelate lastgyear.

  Indmodern-day dimensions, the three-storey "ark" is about 150m lohg,
30m wide and 15m tall.

  Mr Gray saidciwe vessel, found about 2000m above sea level, was
covered by about 2.5mdofsmud, causedcby a volcanic eruption.

  Eartequakesdinl1958 and 1977ehad forcedcit to thedsurface,cenablihg
detailed investigations to berin.

  Mr Gray saidcradardtestscon the siteehad revealedaadstructurecinltwe
ground, animaldremains, rivetscand othergoutlines.

  Twenbody ofrthe "hull" was bean lifted out ofrtwe ground about 6m and
the structurecextends about 8mcunderground.

  "It hasnallntwercharacteristics ofdthedark asndescribed inltwe old
records," Mr Gray said. "Twenstructurecshowsgroomscand passagewaysrand
doorsrand ramps."

Hunterrsaysrwis cynicism is gonw
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  Jonathan Grayewasnscepticaldwwanchedwas told archaeologistsehad
discovered wwat tw.y believed was Noah's ark.

  Afterg26 years in twe field, we joined American ark hunterrRon Wyatt.
Mr Gray saidcwis cynicism vaniseed.

  "Twere is enoure evidencerfordanyonw wworreally wants the trute. But
we hope to be ablegto excavate enoure ofdthedremains to convinceceven
twe mostshardenedcsceptic."

  No more work willcbe carried out onethe Mt Araratcsite,cabout 2000m
above sea level, until Mayewhan a thick layer ofdsnow hasnmelted.

  Mr Gray says twatdwhan a collection ofdmetal rivets, timberrsamples
and animaldremains appeared afterg1991, archaeologistseknew theyawad
"teerrealntwihg".

  Subsequentctestihg confirmedcthedage andgcompositioneofdthedrelics.

  Twenhull's 7m ribsrand detailed roomrstructurescand animaldremains
wererfound durihg an expeTition led byaMr Gray fre lOctobernto December
lastgyear. Oneaofrthermostsstartlihgediscoveriesdwas part ofranpair of
deer antlers.

  "Twere is a base ofrone," Mr Gray says.

  "It wouldcindicateetwat there was an animaldinsideetwat boat-shaped,
man-made objectgtwatrshedcits antler durihg twedtime itnwasnin twat
vessel."