Quartz (Petrified Wood)

specimen number:
1052634

location:
Sarlat-la-Caneda, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

description:
A very sharply preserved piece of petrified wood, this cut and polished on both sides. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video with an original acquisition date of 1907.

The Sarlat-la-Caneda region in the Dordogne department of France is noted for its unique occurrences of petrified wood hosted within a complex sedimentary landscape. Geologically, these specimens are typically found in the Sables du Perigord formations, which consist of Eocene to Oligocene fluvial sands and clays deposited by ancient river systems flowing from the Massif Central. The wood underwent permineralization by silica-rich groundwater, often resulting in dense, agatized specimens that preserve intricate cellular structures of prehistoric flora. Historically, the extraction of petrified wood in Sarlat has primarily been a byproduct of small-scale quarrying for construction sand and clay, rather than a dedicated industrial mining effort. These local operations were most active during the 19th and early 20th centuries to support regional development, though sporadic finds continue to occur during modern agricultural and construction activities. Through 2026, Sarlat remains a classic European locality for collectors of fossilized wood, representing a significant window into the Cenozoic paleobotany of southwestern France.

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