New Evidence of Noah’s Flood?

W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 14, 2000 -- 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.

The saltwater shells date from the present back 6,500 years,while the freshwater shells all date to 7,000 years ago and older.

Sudden and Dramatic

“So we know that there was a sudden and dramatic change from afreshwater lake to a saltwater sea 7,000 years ago,” he saidTuesday.

“And we know that as a result of that flood a vast amount ofland went under water.

“And we now know that that land was inhabited. What we don’tknow is who these people are, we don’t know how broad theirsettlements were ... but we’re expanding our studies to try todetermine that.”

Ballard said his team, using remote-controlled underwatervessels with cameras, located a former river valley beneath thesea, and in the valley was the collapsed structure. Remains includepreserved wooden beams that were worked by hand.

The structure was “clearly built by humans,” and wascharacteristic of stone-age structures built 7,000 years ago in theinterior of Turkey, Ballard said. It contained a stone chisel andtwo other stone tools with holes drilled through them, he said.

Site So Far Untouched

Nothing has been removed from the site. “When you first find asite you don’t just run in there and start picking up things,” hesaid.

The group is now mapping the site and looking for otherstructures in the area.

“This is a work in progress,” Ballard said. “It is criticalto know the exact era of the people who lived there, and to thatend we hope to recover artifacts and wood for carbon dating so wecan figure out what sort of people lived there and the nature oftheir tools.”

The discovery occurred within coastal waters of Turkey, whoseDirectorate of Monuments and Museums has a representative on theresearch vessel.

Ballard, best known for finding the remains of the shipsTitanic, Bismarck and Yorktown, among other discoveries, operatesthe Institute for Exploration in Mystic, Conn.

His expedition is sponsored by the National Geographic Society,which is planning a book and television programs on Ballard’s BlackSea research.