Fenland Black Oak: 5,000-year-old tree found in Norfolk

[dipsydoodle]

The trunk of a giant oak tree, thought by experts to be more than 5,000 years old, has been unearthed in a field in Norfolk.

The 44ft (13.4m) Fenland Black Oak, or bog oak, was found buried in farmland at Methwold Hythe, near Downham Market.

Planks cut from the trunk will be dried over seven months in a specialist kiln.

A spokesman said the tree would make "a breathtaking table for public display giving an insight into the grandeur of these ancient giant forests".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-19722595

[xchrom]

1. du rec. Nt

[valerief]

2. Well, the world needs more 5,000-year-old tables.

Why not display it as is, if it's to be displayed?

[Lochloosa]

3. Because it would look like an oak stump.

In the hands of a skilled craftsman you would be able to see the amazing beauty of the wood.

IMHO.

[valerief]

4. Ha! I like your signature logo!!!! nt

[Lochloosa]

5. Your welcome to steal it.

I did..

[Plucketeer]

6. I agree with you

The thing that bothers me is that we can make book on the fact that only one percenters will get a shot at owning a piece of this leviathan. If I'm lucky, I'll get to look at pine for eternity.

[Lochloosa]

7. Pine can be pretty also....

Ok, I tried to find a good looking piece of pine funiture and came up a little short. You may be right.

[dipsydoodle]

14. I agree with you ,

However it would be tragedy if the planks were only bought by architects to use as be features buried away from the eyes of the public. Some of it at least should go into museums.

[Mopar151]

8. Cross-section slices will crack from drying if it is not done with extreme care

Proper preparation will expose the grain and display the history of the tree. If unprepared, it'll be a cracked, muddy stump.

[Odin2005]

9. Damn, I thought they found a living 5,000 year old oak tree...

...When I saw the title.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. So did I...

[dipsydoodle]

13. Our oldest living trees here are our yew trees

at least one of which is about 2000 years old and many over 1000 years anyway. They were sacred to the Druids in Pagan times - that's roughly when Bush was your President.

Some pictures here : http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/jul/21/oldest-trees-uk

They're known as the Tree of Life.

[bluedigger]

11. Bristlecone Pines are the oldest known living single organisms.

The bristlecone pines are the oldest single living organisms known (though some plants form clonal colonies which may be many times older). The oldest bristlecone pines are single plants that have been alive for a little less than 5,000 years. These very old trees are of great importance in dendrochronology or tree-ring dating.

The oldest (non-clonal, acknowledged) living organism known is a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed "Methuselah" (after Methuselah, the longest-lived person in the Bible). It is located in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California, however its precise location is undisclosed by the U.S. Forest Service to protect the tree from vandalism.[8] The age of Methuselah was measured by core samples in 1957 to be 4,789 years old.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristlecone_pine

I was at the forest a couple years ago. This could be Methusalah.

[montana_hazeleyes]

12. trees

Trees are so beautiful and majestic.

When my husband and I went up to see the the giant trees at Yosemite ,standing there amongst them I was completely in awe. I felt like I was in another world, their world. A truly sacred, magical place.

I had my husband take a picture of me hugging a smaller one that are at lower elevation. To show that yeah, I am a tree hugger and am very proud of it! Then when we were up with the huge, gigantic ones I climbed up to one and kissed it. I also kissed the very top of a new one growing so my kiss would forever grow with the tree.

I guess I sound like a real nutter here, but that's just how those trees affected me.