Ancient waterlogged oak up to 6,000 years old found in the Sozh River

In the Homiel District, near the construction site of the Sevruki residential area, dozens of trunks of this rare wood were retrieved from the bottom of the Sozh River. According to preliminary estimates, the oldest specimens had lain underwater for about 6,000 years. Individual trees weigh up to 15 tons. Alongside them, larch wood aged 750–800 years was also extracted — a species not previously found in such deposits.

Waterlogged oak forms over millennia underwater: the wood becomes saturated with minerals and acquires a unique hue. After retrieval, the logs must be dried for up to five years, and only about ten percent of the material will be suitable for further use.