What has raised much attention in the archaeological world is recent soil samples taken of the mound. The team of Turkish geologist Dr. Memet Bayraktutan collected 22 samples from inside and outside the mound and sent them to Ataturk University to be analyzed. Most striking was the finding that the samples taken outside the mound were different from those taken within it. The mound had lower pH levels and higher organic matter, as well as more potassium than the soil around it. Those findings are consistent with the presence of rotting wood - as in the ruins of an ancient boat.