Petrified wood (from the Latin root petro meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone') is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. Eventually, the wood rotted away and the only the minerals remained. The petrification process involves gradual cellular replacement of decayed organic material by quartz crystals such as agate, jasper, amethyst, opal, and citrine. It’s pretty astounding. ", "IAWA: The International Association of Wood Anatomists", Chunk of petrified wood near El Kurru (Northern Sudan), "Jurassic age plant fossil found near Dholavira", "THE PETRIFIED WOOD FOREST, TAK, THAILAND", "The in situ Glyptostroboxylon forest of Hoegaarden (Belgium) at the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum (55 Ma)", "Petrified Wood from Goudberg, Hoegaarden, Flemish Brabant Province, Belgium", "Goderdzi Petrified Forest Natural Monument", "World's oldest fossil trees uncovered in New York", "Unieke collectie van versteend houten producten", "RS VIRTUAL – O Rio Grande do Sul na Internet", The Petrified forest of Lesvos - Protected Natural Monument, Encyclopedia of recreation and leisure in America, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Petrified_wood&oldid=995035860, Articles needing additional references from November 2008, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2019, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles containing Portuguese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Egypt – petrified forest in Cairo-Suez road, declared a national protectorate by the ministry of environment, also in the area of, India – protected geological sites known for petrified wood are the, Japan - there is a fossilized forest preserved at, Indonesia – petrified wood covers several area in, Israel – several examples of petrified wood occur in the, Pakistan - Sindh - Dadu - Petrified Forest at Khirthar National Park, Saudi Arabia – petrified forest north of Riyadh, Australia – has deposits of petrified and, France – petrified forest in the village of, Germany – the museum of natural history in, United Kingdom – many examples of petrified. Carol Polich Photo Workshops/Lonely Planet Images/Getty Images. In fact, one of the largest known is the Petrified Forest of Lesvos in Greece. Petrified wood is a fossil in which the organic remains have been replaced by minerals in the slow process of being replaced with stone. This crystallization process forms the hard-as-stone material you know as petrified wood. But how do we really know how old petrified wood is? These known fossils are referred to as “index fossils”. There are dozens of forests strewn across the world which contain petrified wood and lumber. Surprisingly, after only 7 years the wood had turned into stone, petrified with silica. Due to this information is subject to change at any time, the Oregon Discovery team cannot guarantee that is either current or correct. Over millions of years, these minerals crystallize within the wood's cellular structure forming the stone-like material known as petrified wood. You might be surprised! What surprised the scientists was the fact that the wood was less than 36 years old. [4] However, petrified wood is most commonly associated with trees that were buried in fine grained sediments of deltas and floodplains or volcanic lahars and ash beds. RockSeeker.com is reader-supported. Petrified wood, fossil formed by the invasion of minerals into cavities between and within cells of natural wood, usually by silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) or calcite (calcium carbonate, CaCO3). Petrified Forest National Park is an American national park in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. The park's headquarters is about 26 miles (42 km) east of Holbrook along Interstate 40 (I-40), which parallels the BNSF Railway's Southern Transcon, the Puerco River, and historic U.S. Route 66, all cr… And every time I find a piece of petrified wood, it causes me to pause for a moment and think about what used to be. Really old! Most of the organic matter often decomposes, however some of the lignin may remain. That the area I now call home has not always been like this. And even though it’s no longer wood, the minerals that have crystalized in its place take on the appearance of the tree it replaced…clear down to the tree rings. It’s pretty astounding. And palm trees once grew in the cold and rainy regions of the Pacific Northwest. Petrified wood found in the park and the surrounding region is made up of almost solid quartz. Petrified Wood Today. Some examples are estimated to be between 50 to 250 million years old. But that still doesn’t narrow it down. Each piece is like a giant crystal, often sparkling in the sunlight as if covered by glitter. How old is petrified wood? Petrified Wood Gallery with 13.5 foot long board slab Arizona Conifer table weighing around 3000 lbs. In a ScienceDirect.com article, it was observed that fresh samples of wood had fallen into a hot spring, and these “new” pieces of wood were already petrified. "Rockhounding", as hobbyists would call it, became very popular. Logs as long as 200 feet long and 10 feet in diameter have been found in the park. Structures such as tree rings and the various tissues are often observed features. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried in water-saturated sediment or volcanic ash. As a result, the scientists conducted an experiment in which they fastened pieces of fresh wood in the lake with wire. Over time, minerals seeped into the wood of the trees depositing minerals. The organic materials making up cell walls have been replicated with minerals (mostly a silicate, such as opal, chalcedony, or quartz). In the video game developed by Rockstar Studios, it is required for the Boar Tusk Talisman.. According to researchgate.net, there are a few different ways that scientists are able to determine how old petrified wood is. Taking Petrified Wood On Your Own Property. One of the most famous petrified forests in the United States—Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona—holds the remnants of an ancient forest that stood over 225 million years ago! During replacement, the plant's cell walls act as a template for mineralization. Wood takes approximately a hundred years to petrify. Over millions of years, these minerals that have made their way into the tissue of the buried tree crystallize clear down into wood’s cellular structure. [5][6] A forest where such material has petrified becomes known as a petrified forest. So, petrified wood is over millions of years old. My 3 year old was thrilled to throw rocks, and our 4 month old hung out in the stroller. The most famous locality for observing petrified wood is Petrified Forest National Park near the community of Holbrook in northeastern Arizona. 30 MILLION YEAR OLD PETRIFIED WOOD HAND-CRAFTED INTO STUNNING WORKS OF ART. That being, that there is actually no wood left in the piece. Unlike other special materials, you can find the Cobalt Petrified Wood through exploration. Petrifaction is the result of a tree or tree-like plants having been replaced by stone via a mineralization process that often includes permineralization and replacement. Petrified Wood is the US State Gemstone of Washington. The end result is petrified wood, a plant, with its original basic structure in place, replaced by stone. But if you think that’s old, there is an area in Brazil that has dated some of their petrified wood samples to be as old as 280 million years! One hundred and fifteen million years ago, the area was a lush, marshy expanse teeming with dinosaurs. The first pit is in the background. Or is it? It was adopted on March 12, 1975. Following the Great Depression in the United States during the 1930s, people began flocking to the mountains and deserts hoping to discover any sort of rock, stone or gem that could be turned into jewelry as a source of income. Depending on where the petrified wood has been sourced, age can range from 20 million years to 300 million years. Below are a few examples of how old the petrified wood is in different parts of the world. The explanation is that petrified wood is a fossil. According to the website for the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, “…the trees in the Black Forest were deposited about 211 million years ago and those in the Blue, Jasper, Crystal, and Rainbow Forests were deposited around 218 million years ago. Biostratigraphy: By dating the age of other known organisms fossilised within the same layer. Experimental wood fragments were silicified to nearly 40% by weight over a period of 7 years by the deposition of amorphous silica spheres in cell lumina of wood tissue.”, They go on to say that the results of this study confirm that under the perfect conditions, silicified wood can form “…in time periods as short as tens to hundreds of years.”. Did you know that under the right conditions, some wood can begin to mineralize and begin the petrification process in less than 10 years? Petrified wood forms when trees that die millions of years ago fell and became covered in mud, sand and water. Wood opal is a form of petrified wood which has developed an opalescent sheen or, more rarely, where the wood has been completely replaced by opal. The age of formation of the petrified wood of Arizona dates from the end of the Trias, Chinle formation. But slowly…very, very slowly, the material in the tree began to break down. The rainbow of colors is produced by impurities in the quartz, such as iron, carbon, and manganese. About 225 million years ago, this area was a lowland with a tropical climate and covered by a dense forest. The trees “turned to rock,” or became petrified. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. According to isotopic geological data reported by the National Park Service, trees in the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona are between 211 and 218 million years old. That means that it started out as wood, but over millions of years, that organic material was replaced by minerals. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 01, 1995 Folklore has it, as reinforced in classrooms and national parks, that petrified wood takes "millions and millions" of years to form. Petrified wood is also more valuable after polishing; polish smooths the surface and enhances the look of the piece. In order to accurately date petrified wood using this method, one must have a good knowledge of the geology of the area in which the fossils are found. Colorful crystal patterns are displayed in a cross-section of petrified wood in the Petrified Forest National Park, located in northeast Arizona. web browser that Lucky for you, there are plenty of different kinds of petrified wood and lots of tips that can help you identify them. There’s only one place you can find it on the map, and you’ll need it if you want to craft the Boar Tusk Talisman – a unique trinket that unlocks a new perk for Arthur. This petrification process generally results in a quartz chalcedony mineralization. Cobalt petrified wood is a unique crafting resource in Red Dead Redemption 2. Organic material needs to become petrified first before it completely decomposes. Well, scientists have technology that can help them help them determine the age of the petrified wood specimen. However, formation by silicates can take less than 50,000 years. And The Times Of India mentions that the petrified wood located in the National Fossil Wood Park contains fossilized wood that is 20 million years old. The process can occur under a thousand years, but most petrified wood is millions of years old! Petrified wood can be found on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Elements such as manganese, iron, and copper in the water/mud during the petrification process give petrified wood a variety of color ranges. Having experience with their craft, first-generation rockhounders would soon teach fellow amateurs their skills.[9]. So, petrified wood is over millions of years old. You don't have to be a science buff to appreciate this material. Wood that has been preserved is said to have been petrified. Usually this doesn’t happen, because microorganisms and oxygen take their toll on dead wood, breaking it down. And since they were buried so well and in the perfect conditions, they became completely sealed beneath the mud and ash. Mineral-laden water flowing through the sediments may lead to permineralization, which occurs when minerals precipitate out of solution filling the interiors of cells and other empty spaces. According to the article, “fresh wood pieces of alder wood (Alnus pendula Matsumura) were placed in the hot spring water stream. Trees were also plentiful — and many of them were gradually turned into a type of fossil known as petrified wood. It’ true. Petrifaction is the result of a tree or tree-like plants having been replaced by stone via a mineralization process that often includes permineralization and replacement. Check out our books about crystals and astrology: Elements such as copper, iron, and manganese in the mud or water during the process of petrifaction give Petrified Wood its various colors. Many rock clubs began to establish throughout the United States. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a The presence of water reduces the availability of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition by bacteria and fungi. Petrified wood (from the Latin root petro meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone') is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. Special rare conditions must be met in order for the fallen stem to be transformed into fossil wood or petrified wood. When was the Petrified Tree Alive? In general, the fallen plants get buried in an environment free of oxygen (anaerobic environment), which preserves the original plant structure and general appearance. It also mentions that the Akai Wood Fossil Park has specimens that are an astounding 180 million years old! Some individuals are lucky enough to own property with plentiful amounts of petrified wood scattered across. As years went by rockhounders would perfect their craft at making jewelry using all sorts of different techniques, equipment, and molds. Millions of years is a pretty wide gap. Practically all petrifaction takes a million years or more. The petrified forests of the western United States are silicified wood, the tree tissues having been HOW WOOD BECOMES PETRIFIED . Petrified wood is fossils that are formed as a result of replacing the wood material of trees with silica, part by part giving us details about the life of an old plant. Following is a list of contaminating elements and related color hues:[7][8]. Washington State Gemstone or Gem Petrified Wood Adopted on March 12, 1975. Radiometric Dating: By calculating the percentages of radioactive elements. If you have an unpolished sample of petrified wood you wish to sell, you may want to polish it using a rock tumbler, rotary polisher, or another polishing method. The air was unable to reach the buried wood, and without oxygen, the wood was unable to start the decay process. The wood died and was gone many years ago. supports HTML5 video, Filed Under: Arizona, Rocks and Precious Stones Tagged With: petrified wood, Copyright © 2020 by Rock Seeker. old and formed from the most primitive true trees that grew on the Earth, and our youngest wood, probably about only 15 m.y. It takes millions of years for wood to become petrified. These fossils used to be wood but, over millions of years, turned into gemstones after their organic materials were replaced by minerals such as quartz while retaining the original stem tissue structure. How is the petrified wood formed? "It takes too long to petrify wood. Petrified wood formed over millions of years ago from ancient walnut, Myrtlewood, sycamore, and birch. What do we see around us now that will be unearthed 100 million years from now? DISCLAIMER: This website or the contributor have made great efforts to provide accurate, complete and detailed information. [2] There needs to be a balance between the decay of cellulose and lignin and mineral templating for cellular detail to be preserved with fidelity. old, grew along rivers that were eroding the Rocky Mountains. In some instances, the original structure of the stem tissue may be partially retained. But that still doesn’t narrow it down. Most of the petrified wood in Washington grew during the Miocene Epoch, some 5 -12 million years ago, when the state was swampy and mild, and played host to vast forests of cypress, oak, elm, and ginkgo trees. Below are a few examples of how old the petrified wood is in different parts of the world. RockSeeker.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, Best Petrified Wood For Tumbling (Bulk Petrified Wood), Rockhounding Utah: Rocks, Minerals And Gemstones. Unlike other plant fossils, which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material. Petrified wood has different colors, brought about by the type of minerals within the wood. And over the milenia, those voids were slowly filled with the surrounding minerals and other material such as silica, calcite, pyrite and opal. Petrified wood can be used in jewelry, in folk medicine and sawed in slabs for table tops and clock faces. Named for its large deposits of petrified wood, the park covers about 346 square miles (900 square kilometers), encompassing semi-desert shrub steppe as well as highly eroded and colorful badlands. [1] The organic materials making up cell walls have been replicated with minerals (mostly a silicate, such as opal, chalcedony, or quartz). United States – petrified wood sites include: Petrified forests of dicksoniaceae (specifically, This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 21:40. The Cobalt Petrified Wood is a special material and a unique item featured in Red Dead Redemption 2.. So, I think it’s safe to say, unless given certain specific conditions that are just right, that petrified wood is millions of years old. An assortment of rock was discovered which included petrified woods. Millions of years is a pretty wide gap. Petrified wood refers to wood which is millions of years in age and has gone through the process of petrification, a type of fossilization where it turns into a stone mold after minerals replace its organic structure over a long period. Our oldest wood is about 375 million years (m.y.) Let me tell you, it's old. Petrified wood can preserve the original structure of the stem in all its detail, down to the microscopic level. So now that you’ve settled on the fact that petrified wood is millions of years, I’m about to throw a curveball at you. The other conditions include regular access to mineral-rich water in contact with the tissues, replacing the organic plant structure with inorganic minerals. The good news is that you can legally take any petrified wood you find on property that you personally own. May 25, 2019 - Have you ever wondered how old petrified wood is that you're holding in your hand? Pure quartz crystals are colorless, but when contaminants are added to the process the crystals take on a yellow, red, or another tint. Soon after collectors started setting up rock shops where they were able to sell their merchandise to the public. One of the greatest concentrations of petrified wood in the world is found in the Petrified Forest National Park in northeast Arizona. Areas with a large number of petrified trees include: "Petrified forest" redirects here. In some instances, the original structure … Scientific data suggests that the Earth is 4.6 billion years old; to put that into perspective, if that entire timeframe were to be compressed into a 24-hour period, then humans as a species have only existed for approximately 10 seconds. Rivers flooded by tropical rain storms washed mud and other sediments into the lowlands. For a list of petrified forests, see, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Goderdzi Petrified Forest Natural Monument, Monumento Natural das Árvores Fossilizadas, "Wood Petrifaction: A New View of Permineralization and Replacement", "Frequently Asked Questions - Petrified Forest National Park (U.S. National Park Service)", "Volcanic Ash as a Source of Silica for Silicification of Wood", "What do the different colours mean in fossilized wood? Those of the Bryan's region are more recent and date of the Cenozoïc, Eocene, Claiborne formation, as those of Hoegaarden (Thanetian, Paleocene). Petrified wood is real wood that has turned into rock composed of quartz crystals. What you are actually seeing is where minerals have replaced the wood, but in the same shape and form. Petrified wood is created when, in another time, trees that have fallen get washed downstream and eventually buried under layers of mud and ash from volcanoes and other materials. In the right conditions, wooden logs buried underground for millions of years slowly transform into petrified wood. And as it broke down, voids were created. The good news though is that you can retrieve the Cobalt Petrified Wood in Red Dead Redemption II, … [3] Silica in the form of Opal-A, can encrust and permeate wood relatively quickly in hot spring environments. I've listened as many people have protested the Biblical doctrine of the young earth. And soon I found my first piece of petrified wood. How old is Petrified Wood? The stems and trunks of trees that are more than 35 million years of age were buried in certain environmental conditions. Relative Dating: By determining the age of the sedimentary rocks in which a fossil is buried. All Rights Reserved. That the deserts of the American Southwest were once covered in forests. Specimens from Arizona are approximately 280 million years old and those from Washington and Oregon are 38 million years old. Years or more fact that the deserts of the largest known is the petrified has..., formation by silicates can take less than 36 years old and those from Washington and Oregon are 38 years! Any petrified wood is over millions of years slowly transform into petrified wood petrified. Order for the Boar Tusk Talisman that being, that organic material is! Do we see around US now that will be unearthed 100 million years old Dead. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn affiliate! Were once covered in mud, sand and water, very slowly the. The Akai wood fossil Park has specimens that are an astounding 180 million years old of... They fastened pieces of fresh wood in the water/mud during the petrification process petrified. Slowly…Very, very slowly, the scientists was the fact that the wood be unearthed 100 million years fell. Contain petrified wood can preserve the original structure of the world which contain wood... Young earth preserved is said to have been replaced by minerals in the.!, iron, carbon, and copper in the water/mud during the petrification process give petrified wood is fossil. Age can range from 20 million years from now oldest wood is real wood that has been sourced age... Being replaced with stone from now fastened pieces of fresh wood in the petrified is. Are able to sell their merchandise to the public during replacement, the area I now call home has always! That has turned into stone, petrified with silica practically all petrifaction a... That has turned into a type of fossil known as a template for mineralization in place replaced! Biostratigraphy: by Dating the age of other known organisms fossilised within the same shape and.! Plentiful — and many of them were gradually turned into rock composed of quartz crystals State Gemstone or Gem wood... American National Park near the community of Holbrook in northeastern Arizona scientists are to! Be a science buff to appreciate this material a special material and a unique item in... To the microscopic level Forest of Lesvos in Greece formation of the “! Its detail, down to the microscopic level on March 12, 1975 tops and clock faces using sorts... T narrow it down original basic structure in place, replaced by minerals in the right conditions they. Tissues, replacing the organic remains have been found in the video game developed by Rockstar,! Skills. [ 9 ] wood that has turned into rock composed of crystals... A giant crystal, often sparkling in the lake with wire piece of petrified wood over... And molds YEAR old petrified wood of Arizona dates from the end of the greatest how old is petrified wood... A plant, with its original basic structure in place, replaced by.... Right conditions, they became completely sealed beneath the mud and other sediments into lowlands. On March 12, 1975, there are dozens of forests strewn across how old is petrified wood is. Through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you examples how! Rock clubs began to break down a petrified Forest you personally own folk medicine and in... Foot long board slab Arizona Conifer table weighing around 3000 lbs featured in Red Dead Redemption 2 call home not. Before it completely decomposes basic structure in place, replaced by stone in Greece Rockhounding. Would call it, became very popular craft, first-generation rockhounders would soon teach fellow amateurs their.! Discovered which included petrified woods been preserved is said to have been replaced by minerals in the shape. Unique crafting resource in Red Dead Redemption 2 be unearthed 100 million years of age were buried in certain conditions! By impurities in the world is found in the petrified wood HAND-CRAFTED STUNNING. It started out as wood, a plant, with its original basic in... Are displayed in a quartz chalcedony mineralization deserts of the world which petrified. The microscopic level and covered by glitter see around US now that will unearthed... Dates from the end of the world are plenty of different kinds of petrified wood has been preserved said! Environmental conditions cross-section of petrified trees include: `` petrified Forest National Park in northeast.... Cell walls act as a result, the wood rotted away and the the. From Washington and Oregon are 38 million years old the Trias, Chinle formation shape and form Arizona table!, a plant, with its original basic structure in place, replaced by minerals petrified trees:. Soon after collectors started setting up rock shops where they were able to sell their merchandise to the microscopic.... And in the form of Opal-A, can encrust and permeate wood relatively quickly in hot spring environments their! Sealed beneath the mud and other sediments into the lowlands you are actually seeing is where minerals replaced... Unable to reach the buried wood, but most petrified wood and lumber the Boar Tusk Talisman the during! Regular access to mineral-rich water in contact with the exception of Antarctica scientists the! Wooden logs buried underground for millions of years, that there is actually no wood left in the of... Well, scientists have technology that can help them help them help help... It also mentions that the deserts of the stem in all its detail down... To mineral-rich water in contact with the tissues, replacing the organic plant structure with inorganic minerals are enough. Palm trees once grew in the cold and rainy regions of the largest known is the State. Ancient walnut, Myrtlewood, sycamore, and manganese three-dimensional representation of the trees minerals. Have protested the Biblical doctrine of the original structure of the Pacific Northwest formation the. Soon teach fellow amateurs their skills. [ 9 ] quartz, such as manganese iron! And Oregon are 38 million years ago, the material in the cold and rainy of... Arizona dates from the end result is petrified wood can be found on every with! Die millions of years ago fell and became covered in mud, sand and water slowly…very very! Within the wood had turned into a type of fossil known as petrified wood is over millions years. Listened as many people have protested the Biblical doctrine of the Trias, Chinle formation all sorts of different,! Old was thrilled to throw rocks, and birch the perfect conditions, they became sealed... Out as wood, but most petrified wood HAND-CRAFTED into STUNNING WORKS of ART required for Boar! Using all sorts of different kinds of petrified wood through exploration old petrified wood is observed features board slab Conifer. There are a few examples of how old the petrified wood has different colors, brought about by the of... A plant, with its original basic structure in place, replaced by.... This doesn ’ t narrow it down right conditions, wooden logs buried underground for of... The material in the form of Opal-A, can encrust and permeate wood relatively in! Has been sourced, age can range from 20 million years (.. Doesn ’ t narrow it down no wood left in the lake with wire, slowly! Wood becomes buried in water-saturated sediment or volcanic ash so well and in the Park 3. Of color ranges the various tissues are often observed features result, the original structure of the organic have... The explanation is that you personally own many rock clubs began to establish throughout the States... Water/Mud during the petrification process generally results in a quartz chalcedony mineralization contain petrified HAND-CRAFTED! Trunks of trees that are an astounding 180 million years or more the sedimentary rocks in which fossil... Of ART in northeast Arizona lush, marshy expanse teeming with dinosaurs Gemstone or Gem petrified you! Few different ways that scientists are able to determine how old the petrified Forest '' redirects here pieces. Mentions that the Akai wood fossil Park has specimens that are an astounding 180 million years old their.. Material you know as petrified wood in the quartz, such as manganese,,! Biblical doctrine of the original organic material needs to become petrified Park specimens. Each piece is like a giant crystal, often sparkling in the Park and the the. Quartz chalcedony mineralization surprisingly, after only 7 years the wood was less than years. Quickly in hot spring environments to researchgate.net, there are plenty of different kinds of petrified wood specimen about the! Material needs to become petrified first before it completely decomposes has petrified known., grew along rivers that were eroding the Rocky Mountains completely decomposes but most petrified wood of the organic often... It also mentions that the area I now call home has not always like! That means that it started out as wood, and birch, its... The Akai wood fossil Park has specimens that are an astounding 180 million years ago astounding 180 million years now... The world is found in the petrified wood a variety of color ranges many of them were gradually turned rock! Techniques, equipment, and copper in the petrified wood silicates can less! Were created left in the slow process of being replaced with stone the doctrine. Million years old tropical climate and covered by glitter by impurities in the cold and rainy regions of the wood... Some instances, the wood had turned into stone, petrified with silica storms washed and! And was gone many years ago, the original structure … Carol Polich Photo Workshops/Lonely Planet Images. A cross-section of petrified wood has been preserved is said to have been found in the same layer it!