New Evidence of Noah’s Flood?

W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 14 -- The first evidence that humans lived in anarea now covered by the Black Sea — perhaps inundated by thebiblical flood — has been discovered by a team of explorers.

“Artifacts at the site are clearly well preserved, with carvedwooden beams, wooden branches and stone tools,” lead researcherRobert Ballard said.

“We realize the broad significance the discovery has and we’regoing to do our best to learn more,” Ballard said in a telephoneinterview Tuesday from his ship off the northern coast of Turkey,west of the community of Sinop.

‘Concrete Evidence’

Fredrik Hiebert of the University of Pennsylvania, the team’schief archaeologist, said the discovery “represents the firstconcrete evidence for occupation of the Black Sea coast prior toits flooding.”

“This is a major discovery that will begin to rewrite thehistory of the cultures in this key area between Europe, Asia andthe ancient Middle East,” Hiebert said.

The remnants of human habitation were found in more than 300feet of water about 12 miles off the coast of Turkey.

Many ancient Middle Eastern cultures have legends of a greatflood, including the Bible story of Noah.

Glacial Melt?

Columbia University researchers William Ryan and Walter Pittmanspeculated in their 1997 book “Noah’s Flood” that when theEuropean glaciers melted, about 7,000 years ago, the MediterraneanSea overflowed into what was then a smaller freshwater lake tocreate the Black Sea.

Last year Ballard found indications of an ancient coastlinemiles out from the current Black Sea coast. The new discoveryprovides evidence that people once lived in that now inundatedregion.

Ballard, a National Geographic Society explorer in residence,said he studied shells found along the ancient coastline and foundtwo types. One group is an extinct type of freshwater shell, whilethe second is from saltwater shellfish.