The Petrified Forest at Sigri, on the island of Lesvos, is one of the largest parks containing fossilised forests in the world, and is located in an area enclosed by the villages of Eressos, Antissa and Sigri.
The formation of the Petrified Forest is directly related to the intense volcanic activity on Lesvos island
during late Oligocene - middle Miocene periods.
Along with the volcanic activity, hot solutions of silicon dioxide penetrated and impregnated the volcanic materials that covered the tree trunks. Thus the major fossilization process started
In the case of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos, the fossilization was perfect due to favorable fossilization conditions that preserved morphological characteristics of the tree trunks such as the annual rings, barkers, as well as the internal structure of the wood.
One of the most famous attractions is the largest fossil tree trunk in the world, with a circumference of 13.7 metres and a diameter of 3.7 metres in the forest's Plaka Sigriou park, while the smaller Sigriou park contains an entire fossilised root system of several trees.
Isolated plant-fossils have also been found in many other places on the island, including the villages Molyvos, Polichnitos, Plomari and Akrasi.
The town of Sigri also hosts the Museum of the Petrified Forest.
source: ana-mpa
