Petrified Wood
Original Hardwood

Arizona's Official State Fossil

Petrified Wood is found in a National Park in Northeastern Arizona. Much of it is found on private property as well. It can be taken with permission granted by the private property owners. The National Park warns that there is a curse on those who take the altered wood fossil away from the park. The Park requests that you leave the fossils in place. Many have ignored the advice and find themselves mis-fortuned and send the piece back to the park hoping to recover from the ancient Pueblo Curse.

Jack Sparrow and his Incan Gold, Arizona and its Pueblo Wood. The tales are many, the superstition spreads. The curse? You decide!

Trunk

These areas of ancient trees, dating back 225 million years ago during the Triassic Period, were a part of a conifer like forest that spread from Texas through New Mexico and Arizona and into Utah.

The wood is found as large trunks lying on the ground, having been broken in large sections. It is theorized that the trees were flooded occasionally and then suddenly covered with sediment like material that entered into the cells of the trees making them turn to stone.

The trees never were re-exposed to moisture and aerobic habitat so the natural processes of decay could not take place. It is speculated that the trees after having been buried for so long were forced up from under the ground due to earth movement. The stone wood is usually considered red with different veins of color runing through the specific piece.

Petrified Wood of Facts
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