Petrified Wood Wall Display
Late Triassic (approx. 220 million years ago), Holbrook, Arizona, United States
No reserve
Auction Closed
July 14, 07:13 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Petrified Wood Wall Display
Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Late Triassic (approx. 220 million years ago)
Holbrook, Arizona, USA
41¾ x 30 x 1¾ inches (106 x 76.2 x 4.4 cm). 181 pounds (82.1 kg).
The cut and polished section of fossil wood reveals the vibrant colors caused by a variety of ground minerals. This large and decorative example from the Age of the Dinosaurs is in good condition.
Originating from the petrified forests of northeastern Arizona, fossilized Araucarioxylon arizonicum — an extinct species of conifer tree — was produced over many thousands of years as quartz and minerals such as limonite and hematite absorbed into the wood, slowly replacing the original organic material. The inclusion of various elements in the quartz has created the range of colors - red, yellow, orange, black, and gray - evident in this specimen and which is characteristic of petrified wood from Arizona, often considered the highest quality in the world.