By: The Scribe on Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Underwater archaeologists at Loch Tay in Perthshire, Scotland, have discovered a well-preserved, drowned forest, dating to the Neolithic period around 5000 years ago.Archaeologists have identified fallen elm and oak trees, as well as upright oak trunks surrounded by organic material, including moss and hazelnuts. Many of the trees have been preserved in odd shapes, creating a “
spooky landscape protruding from the loch bed”.
The radiocarbon dates for these trees fall between 3200 and 2500 BC; scientists hope that samples of the preserved wood and pollen will be able to assist them in tree-ring dating and climate-change studies.
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