In 1980, clay pit workers came across a huge upright tree stump, one of more than 60 to excavated in the area. The stumps are still wooden and have been well preserved

A closer study revealed that the tree lived for more than a thousand years. The nature of the organic material showed that the wood had not suffered transformations for more than a million years since the trunks were buried.

Fossil forests are not unusual but at Dunarobba the massive stumps were not petrified. In fact they are still composed of wood, may be chopped, sawn and even polished.