Ron Wyatt, a modern-day Indiana Jones.
Ron Wyatt lived from 1933-1999. He was a certified nurse anesthetist by profession, but his calling in life was that of Biblical Archaeology. After reading an article in Life Magazine in 1979 about a boat-shaped object found in Turkey, he set about attempting to prove that it was in fact Noah's Ark.
Ron Wyatt was officially credited by the government of Turkey with the discovery of Noah's Ark, based on the artifacts he found there, including anchorstones, petrified wood, the ribs of the vessel, and metal fittings and ballast.
In addition to Noah's Ark, Ron Wyatt claimed to have found many other sites significant to Christianity, Such as the Red Sea Crossing site in 1978, Sodom and Gomorrah in 1989, the Ark of the Covenant and the site of Jesus' Crucifixion in 1982. Of those, the discovery of the Ark of the Covenant is the only one with no evidence.
Ron Wyatt is sometimes described as a "modern day Indiana Jones". Indeed, many pictures show him wearing a fedora. His experiences while searching for these archeaological treasures include being jailed as a spy and being shot at by terrorists. It is likely that the character, Indiana Jones and the movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, were based at least partially on him.
More information can be found on Ron Wyatt and his discoveries can be found at www.anchorstone.com, www.pilgrimpromo.com/WAR/, or www.wyattarchaeology.com.
In the interest of fairness, www.noahsarksearch.com/ronwyatt.htm attempts to discredit his discoveries.