Lesvos Safari Tours

Lesvos Petrified forest

The area enclosed by the villages of Eressos, Antissa and Sigri, exposes large accumulations of fossilized tree trunks comprising the Petrified forest of Lesvos. Isolated plant-fossils have been found in many other places of the island, including the villages Molyvos, Polichnitos, Plomari and Akrasi. The formation of the Petrified Forest is directly related to the intense volcanic activity in Lesvos island during late Oligocene - middle Miocene. The volcanic eruptions during this time produced lavas, pyroclastic materials and volcanic ash, which covered the vegetation of the area. The rapid covering of tree trunks, branches, and leaves led to isolation from atmospheric conditions. 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 with a molecule by molecule replacement of organic plant by inorganic materials. In the case of the Petrified Forest of Lesvos, the fossilization was perfect due to favorable fossilization conditions. Therefore morphological characteristics of the tree trunks such as the annual rings, barkers, as well as the internal structure of the wood, are all preserved in excellent condition.