The devastation would have been so horrific, scientists speculate, that its memory may well have inspired the biblical story of Noah's flood. Now researchers have discovered an ancient southern coastline some 550 feet beneath the surface of the Black Sea near the Turkish port of Sinop. The findings confirm a theory outlined earlier this year in the book Noah's Flood by two Columbia University geologists, William Ryan and Walter Pitman. Technology to detect and recover artifacts is a boon to the field of underwater archaeology. A team of deep-sea explorers, led by Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard, used sonar images to locate the submerged Black Sea beach.
Explorers plan to return next summer to seek ruins, shipwrecks, and other clues.
Here's a plan for salvaging Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace accord. Lock in a room for 10 weeks. By May, disarmament is supposed to be complete. Hard-liners in the Unionists' policy council could wreck the deal when the group meets this week. Roman Catholic bishops say they only want to safeguard the Catholic character of the 235 U.S. Catholic colleges and universities.