By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
A centuries-old map has resurfaced amid a stunning new development in the search for Noah’s Ark.
The map, created in 1587 by Italian nobleman and cartographer Urbano Monte, stretches nearly 10 feet wide when fully assembled and is packed with elaborate illustrations of continents, mythical creatures and unexplored lands.
Hidden within the world diagram is a small depiction of Noah’s Ark resting on the mountains of Ararat in modern-day Turkey – the region researchers are currently searching for the biblical vessel.
The striking detail has sparked fascination online as it aligns with the Durupınar Formation, where researchers are currently investigating for remains of the biblical boat.
Independent researcher Jimmy Corsetti wrote online: ‘The same location as the Durupınar site, virtually the exact same length. Coincidence?’
The international team examining the Durupınar Formation recently said it has ‘100 percent confirmed’ that the mound is not a natural geological feature but a ‘man-made object.’
Andrew Jones, founder of Noah’s Ark Scans, said in a statement that preliminary radar data do not show ‘a simple homogeneous solid-rock signature.’
The team had recovered samples from nearly 60 feet. ‘We have so far recovered layers of rich organic material that we believe could be the decayed top-tier remains of the Ark,’ Jones explained.
Monte created the map during the height of the Age of Exploration, when European cartographers were rapidly redrawing the known world following voyages to the Americas and Asia.
Unlike most 16th-century maps, this diagram was designed from a north polar perspective, placing the Arctic at the center of the world.
The enormous map consists of 60 separate hand-drawn sheets that can be assembled into a single circular image measuring nearly 10 feet across.
It is filled with elaborate illustrations of ships, sea monsters, mythical creatures and detailed notes describing distant lands and cultures.
Historians believe Monte was inspired to create the map after a Japanese delegation visited Milan in 1585, exposing Europeans to new global perspectives. The original manuscript is now housed at Stanford University’s David Rumsey Map Center, where it was digitally restored and made available online.