Why Is A Tree In Greece Creating News?

It’s known as the birthplace of democracy as we know it. It’s also famous for its dominant firmament of philosophers: think Aristotle, Archimedes, Socrates, Pericles (and the list is really endless). But it’s rather interesting that a country where a thriving tourism scene, endlessly arresting style of architecture dating back to Peloponnese, the Aegean islands, and colonies of the Anatolia often form the common talking point- it is a tree that is making news. That is actually correct!

So what is it about the current trending topic of discussion from the land of Western Medicine, Cartography, and Map-making that is turning eyeballs?

Truth be told, a fossilised tree, recently discovered in Greece is attracting attention from different parts of the world. That being said, first things first! Just what is this fossilised tree in Greece all about?

We know that such a tree is the fossilised remains of terrestrial vegetation. It’s that process wherein over a really large period of time, the tree-like plants are actually replaced by stones via the process of mineralization.

But there ought to be something about the fossilised tree in Greece, right? Why is it enjoying a fare share of digital landscape at present?

To that end, it is immediately important to know that the recent discovery by the scientists actually dates back to 20 million years.

Frankly speaking, most of us counter the usual challenge of spelling out the exact number of zeroes that a figure as humongous as 20 million years commands.

So just imagine how unique is this fossilised tree discovery then- isn’t it?

Now if you come to think of it in terms of just how things pan out at times, then in some ways it makes perfect sense that in a country that dates back to several hundreds of thousands of years has the fossilised tree been found.

It is common knowledge that Greece emerged from the Dark Ages not before 8th Century BC. In that regard, should there be an immensity of shock to note that the fossilised tree dates back to millions of years?

Still, what’s important to note is that the said tree has been discovered in the island of Lesbos, and has its roots and branches that are still very much intact.

Call it nature’s surprising ways of being or what you may- but this is what is pretty much the fact.

International media reports covering more about the fossilised tree in Greece happened to report some interesting updates:

The tree was found during roadwork near an ancient forest petrified millions of years ago on the eastern Mediterranean island and transported from the site using a special splint and metal platform.

It is the first time a tree has been found in such good condition complete with branches and roots since excavations began in 1995, said Professor Nikos Zouros of the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos.

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Now, one wonders if there are other similar discoveries on their way to surprise the finders in the times to come? Though what one can say is that the land from where emerged the alarm clock as also the founding principles of geometry may yet have some more amazing surprises decked in the lap of the future.