An Exquisite and Colorful petrified wood slab. Excellent variations in color and tones! Polished on both sides. Perfect for display or can be used as a cheeseboard or trivet. Excavated in Madagascar, these petrified wood slabs are estimated to be between 200 and 250 million years old! Petrified wood (from the Greek root petro meaning “rock” or “stone”; literally “wood turned into stone”) is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree or tree-like plants having completely transitioned to stone by the process of permineralization. All the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (mostly a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the stem tissue. Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment or volcanic ash and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition Measures: 11″ X 9 X 1″ H Weight: 3.3 kg Thank you for your interest in my curated selection of rare and unusual pieces! We have taken pride for over 20 years in our excellent reputation, and strive to satisfy our clients’ exact needs. Thanks and Best Regards, David Dixon and the Strange Imports Team. The item “Colorful Petrified Wood Slab from Madagascar” is in sale since Tuesday, September 24, 2019. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Rocks, Fossils & Minerals\Fossils\Vegetation\Petrified Wood”. The seller is “didnd.us.yrtuwd8prb” and is located in Carbondale, Colorado. This item can be shipped worldwide.