A special report June 11 2010
Update added 15 June 2010: After publication of the below, photographs were sent in from another CMI office of pitsawn timber, also showing parallel marks which, while not quite like those in the photo, suggest that there may be special circumstances in which pitsawing could give marks which are at once parallel, equidistant, and at 90 degrees across the timber for its entire length. I.e. this could not be excluded as ‘impossible’. Pitsawing would require metal, but not powerful electric motors. While the article’s author remains of the same overall view, including that these are in fact rotating plane marks, the article has been modified to make readers aware that pitsawing is at least a possibility.
Published: 11 June 2010(GMT+10)
[Our earlier ‘progressively updated’ commentary appears below this article, and has been replaced by this one, so that the web link for that one will be redirected to this one. Any future updates will appear at the top of this article, not below as before.]
Photo Noah’s Ark Ministries International
Figure 1. The second from top plank on the left shows evenly spaced parallel cross-grain markings typical of modern high-speed rotating planing machines—however, it has been pointed out that pitsaw marks could conceivably mimic the appearance in the photo (see box in main article)
(Click to enlarge)
At present, there is considerable confusion mingled with curiosity on the announcement, by a team from Hong Kong now known as Noah’s Ark Ministries International (NAMI), of their discovery of wooden constructions under the ice 4,200 m (14,000 feet) up on greater Mt Ararat. Press conferences have been held, involving Turkish government representatives and academics, which have presented the finds in a way which indicates the belief of both NAMI and the Turkish officials that this is highly likely to be the remains of Noah’s Ark.
At the same time, rumours of a staged hoax, giving significant detail, are circulating strongly. We have given this matter considerable attention over the last two weeks to see if it was already possible to come to a definitive view ‘on the balance of probabilities’. The rumours of hoaxing have several inconsistencies within themselves (which is in any case the nature of rumour, so does not necessarily reflect on those who have reported the existence of such tales). Despite this, I have come to believe that a modern-day hoax is far more probable than any other explanation of the site. What follows is a synopsis of the points relevant to that decision.
