Twenty-five kilometers east of Sassari, in the sprawling center of the Anglona region, lays the stunning small town of Martis. It is here you will find the magnificent Petrified Forest of Carrucana – Foresta fossile di Carrucana.
What is a petrified forest?
“A petrified forest is a forest in which tree trunks have fossilized.
Petrified wood is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree or tree-like plants having completely transitioned to stone by the process of permineralization.”¹
The stones sit along the bank of the Riu Altana and vary in size; some with deep holes in the center. Which my friends and I believed were artificial but once we visited the museum of Perfugas we soon learned that it’s a natural process the petrified wood takes on.
Walking around the petrified forest of Carrucana is like walking around on another planet. These huge trunks stones are scattered left to right; some taken years ago from another site close by and some lie in their original state of decay.
What does petrified wood look like close up?
It looks like wood, it seems like wood but it’s petrified and turned to stone.
How does wood petrify?
I have no idea! But I found a great site that explains it all.
Sardinia never ceases to amaze me. Around every corner a beautiful surprise awaits the next curious soul.
Have you seen the petrified forest of Carrucana?
Source: ¹ Petrified wood – Wikipedia