An impressive petrified tree trunk of an angiosperm tree can be found lying on its side in the fossil-rich area located outside the village of Varos.

The biggest part of the fossilized trunk was found covered with soil, while its lower side was discovered in pyroclastic rocks. With the completion of the first phase of excavations by the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, it was revealed that the trunk’s diameter exceeds 1 m and its length is greater than 7m.

Materials of volcanic origin, such as volcanic ash and pyroclastic flows of massive volcanic eruptions, swept over and covered the petrified forest of Lemnos approximately 22.3 million years ago. The massive trunk of the Varos angiosperm tree was snapped and dragged to its present location by the pyroclastic flows. The thick layer of volcanic material isolated the trunk from the external conditions, creating an ideal environment for its fossilization.

Thus, the morphological characteristics of the tree such as the stunning knots and the internal wood structure were preserved in perfect condition. The fossilized trunk was brought to the surface by the erosion of the pyroclastic rocks over time.