A team of scientists in Turkey believe they’ve made a remarkable discovery that could provide compelling evidence for the historical basis of Noah’s Ark.

If you grew up attending primary school in the UK, chances are you sang the nursery rhyme about Noah’s Ark. But if, by some chance, you’re unfamiliar with one of the world’s oldest stories, here’s the gist: God commanded Noah to build a massive ark to save his family—and two of every kind of animal—before flooding the Earth.

For years, scientists have speculated that the Durupınar formation, a 538-foot-long geological structure in eastern Turkey, might be linked to this ancient tale. Located near the Turkish-Iranian border, the formation closely matches the dimensions of the ark as described in the Bible.

In a major breakthrough late last year, researchers managed to decipher an ancient Babylonian artifact housed at the British Museum. They believe the clay tablet is essentially a map—a record of how Christians believe the world was created. It includes a Mesopotamian poem referencing a man (possibly Noah) who preserved life aboard an ark that landed safely with his family.

Now, this latest development adds further weight to the theory. Scientists collected rock and soil samples from the Durupınar site and sent them to a lab in Istanbul. Analysis revealed traces of clay-like materials, marine deposits, and even remnants of sea creatures—including mollusks.

Noah's Ark painted in a Milan church (Getty Images/Robtoz)

If Noah really did manage to gather two of every species, then even the humble mollusks would have had their place aboard the ark. Though, to be fair, they were probably small enough to sneak on without anyone noticing.