Rare prehistoric trees found in Hungary "survive" transport

Six of the eight-million-year-old bald cypress tree trunks that were found in an open-cast lignite mine in Bükkábrány (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County) in July were successfully transported to the Ipolytarnóc Prehistoric Exhibition Site on Monday, reports the Hungarian edition of National Geographic magazine. The trunks will form part of the permanent exhibition from October. Since the trunks were preserved in an unusual way, by being buried in 60 meters of wet sand, there were fears that they would be completely destroyed due to drying out and crumbling apart.

A total of 15 standing trunks, each four to six meters tall and with a diameter of up to three meters were found at the mine in July. The trees grew in the swampland surrounding a freshwater lake that occupied the Transdanubia region millions of years ago. It is extremely rare for wood to be found preserved in this way; soft tissues are more commonly petrified.

Researchers were faced with a challenge when they had to partially conserve and "solidify" the wood before the trunks could be transported, and are still working to solve the problem of long-term conservation.

The trunks were first sterilized to protect them from pollution in the air and then buried in earth similar to the sand they were found in. An international conference has been called for September 10 to discuss the options available for preserving them, and until then their condition is being continuously monitored.

An additional four trunks that were discovered at the site will be exhibited at the Ottó Herman Museum in Miskolc after they have been sufficiently preserved.

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