Hundreds of thousands years old wood fossil which was lying in the Sitaldei pond of village Mofalnar in Dantewada district has come to light. The residents of the village were using it as a base to wash their clothes for the last eight years.
The unique piece of wood fossil is about 75 kg in weight. Seeing its importance, Archaeological Department, Jagdalpur has brought to fossil in to the office of the department after retrieving it from the pond and preparing to sent it to the lucknow based Birbal Sahani Institute of Palaeobotany for its date
validation and further researches. Earlier, such a wood fossil was found in Surguja area of Chhattisgarh.
Mofalnar village is located along the Geedam-Barsur Road 5 km away from Tumnar. Here, in Sitaldei pond a piece of stone looking like a piece of wood was lying for years as people of the village used it as a ghat (pedestal) for washing their clothes for the last 8 years.
Notably, Bastar being the part of ancient 'Gondwana', a known geographical area under thick forest cover, talks of probability of wood fossil here were always in the air but no real fossil was found ever and after the discovery of this fossil archaeological department sleuths were excited.
According to deputy director of Archaeology department JR Bhagat, the piece of the wood fossil found at Mofalnar is lakhs of years ancient. It is heavy (about 75 kg in weight) as four people were able to put it in a vehicle with much difficulty. For measurement of its age and type, it should be sent to lucknow.
According to professor of Geology Amitanshu Shekhar Jha for the formation of fossil atmospheric pressure and otherconditions need to be present besides the availability of water and sand.
In this condition atomic deposition of the organic material starts after which deposition of Silicon Dioxide or Calcium Carbonate replaces the hydrocarbon thereby preserving the wood or other such organic material for crores of years turning it into stone but even after conversion in to stone the internal structure of the wood is clearly visible in the fossil. According to Jha the process of formation of fossil is very slow.