Deus Artefacta: Ron Wyatt's pseudo-archaeology

Many people ask me constantly about what I think of Ron Wyatt, from students to many posts on Facebook and by email. I was tired of posting over and over again the reasons for why I think his claims are non-sense and so decided to post my response on my blog that people can research for themselves.
On Ron Wyatt (official site Wyatt Archaeological Research [WAR] and Ark Discovery International) most evangelical archaeologist that I know considers him to be a fraudulent, pseudo-archaeologist, with most of his discoveries nothing more than a hoax. See Expose by TentMakers. Wyatt was not a trained archaeologist, but a Seventh Day Adventist adventurer and former nurse anesthetist. However, he was not an evil man but just deluded (he died in 1999). A list of his claims include:

Noah’s Ark Debunked, Answers in Genesis response
Location of Sodom and Gomorrah Debunked
The real Mount Sinai (Jebel el Lawz also proposed by Bob Cornuke). Dr. Hoffmeier critique p. 133
Chariot wheels of the Exodus False
Ark of the Covenant in tunnel under the Temple of Solomon. No evidence submitted.
Site of the Crucifixion of Christ
many others

Answers in Genesis response to all these claims.

Most of us (evangelical archaeologists) try to put as much distance between us and him because he gives legitimate scientific archaeology by evangelicals (NEAS and ABR) a bad name and reason for the critical world to mock us even more.
Without going into a lot of details, here are some of the reasons that the Associates for Biblical Research (ABR) have put forth about Ron Wyatt. The ABR organization is a group of academically trained evangelical archaeologists who evaluate the evidence of such claims and give professional opinions on the evidence presented.

For an in-depth critique of Wyatt’s claims published by Dr. Collin D. Standish, a Seventh Day Adventists (Wyatt's own denomination) see:

Standish, Russell R., and Colin D. Standish. Holy Relics Or Revelation. 1st edition. Rapidan, VA: Hartland Publications, 1999. Review of the Book.

Durupinar, 2006 Copyright David E. Graves

Noah's Ark

I have traveled to Turkey as the Director of Operations for ArcImaging, Archaeological Imaging Research Consortium based in Colorado visited Mt Ararat and examined the Durupınar phenomenon that Wyatt claims is Noah’s Ark

I surveyed the region in preparation for the Mount Ararat Expedition. May 7–16, 2006 . Samples were taken and determined to be nothing more than a geological formation with no petrified wood.

Video

Sodom and Gomorrah

Wyatt's claims for Sodom are based solely on the presence of sulfur balls and salt formations which exist all around the Dead Sea and not on any archaeological excavation. The majority of biblical scholars agree that the cities of the plain can be found around the Dead Sea.
For archaeological evidence for the site of Tall el-Hammam as biblical Sodom see

Graves, David E. The Location of Sodom: Color Edition. Key Facts for Navigating the Maze of Arguments for the Location of the Cities of the Plain. Toronto: Electronic Christian Media, 2018.

Graves, David E. “Sodom And Salt in Their Ancient Near Eastern Cultural Context.” Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 61 (2016): 18–36.

Collins, Steven, and Latayne C. Scott. Discovering the City of Sodom: The Fascinating, True Account of the Discovery of the Old Testament’s Most Infamous City. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2013.

Holden, Joseph M., and Steven Collins, eds. Harvest Handbook of Bible Lands: A Panoramic Survey of the History, Geography, and Culture of the Scriptures. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2020.

Collins, Steven. “Where Is Sodom? The Case for Tall el-Hammam.” Biblical Archaeology Review 39, no. 2 (2013), 31-41, 70–71.

Collins, Steven, Carroll M. Kobs, and Michael C. Luddeni. The Tall Al-Hammam Excavations: An Introduction to Tall al-Hammam with Seven Seasons (2005–2011) of Ceramics and Eight Seasons (2005–2012) of Artifacts. Vol. 1. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015.

For an extensive bibliography and list of the Excavation Reports for Tall el-Hammam see Blog Sodom Research.