Petrified Wood! :)

[Hotrodmom]

A few weeks ago I took the family out hiking in one of my favorite hiking spots. We live very close to the Nevada and Arizona border (St. George, Utah) so this spot is in Arizona about an hour from our house. We did some shooting, hiking and of course looking. My boy found tons of petrified wood. It was everywhere really. I just wanted to share with you all. I thought it was pretty cool. I've gotta go through all my arrowheads now because I think years ago I found one made out of this Petrified wood. (Oh, he wanted me to let you all know he is selling it if you are interested!) LOL :rolf:



We found lots of little pieces too.

[JoshinMO]

That really doesnt look much different than wood from bottom of old wood pile :huh: ,neat.

[Hotrodmom]

JoshinMO wrote:

That really doesnt look much different than wood from bottom of old wood pile :huh: ,neat.

  LOL, it's alot heavier and harder to break! 

[chase]

One of the coolest finds was when I was kid. was pet wood that still had real wood. Not sure where it is at but never considered it possible. Yet it was.

[Hotrodmom]

Very neat!!

[aholmes748]

Does anyone know what NA may have used petrified wood for?  Did they make anything out of it?  I have found quite a bit also and often wondered what NA would have thought about it.

[chase]

aholmes748 wrote:

Does anyone know what NA may have used petrified wood for?  Did they make anything out of it?  I have found quite a bit also and often wondered what NA would have thought about it.

pet- wood is complex. It depends on the materialization. Some is good for artifacts and others are not. I will hand this one over to Painshill.

[painshill]

There are plenty of examples of projectile points and other functional artefacts being made from petrified wood. It’s as good as any other material when heavily silicified/agatised and often considerably more colourful, or with attractive patterns. Petrified palmwood (Palmoxylon) seems to have been a particular favourite, especially in Louisiana and Texas.
Large blocks were sometimes used as a building material… like this:

(Picture from “Contributions to Palaeontology, 1968: Geological Survey Professional Paper 613” - US Department of the Interior).
In some cases, it’s clear that the material was recognised as “wood”. Oral tradition suggests that large logs of petrified wood in what is now the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona were believed by the Paiute to be spent arrow shafts and spears from a great battle between their thunder god “Shinauav” and his enemies (Powell, 1876).
In other cases, it wasn’t recognised as “wood” at all. Navajo tradition suggests that the large logs were believed to be the bones of the “Great Giant/Monster” called “Yeitso” who was killed by their ancestors when they occupied the lands of Arizona (Swaine -and- Hegewald, 1882). The logs were called “yietsobitsin” which translates as “the bones of Yietso” (Reagan, 1925).
Small unworked pieces have also been found in medicine bundles and grave contexts. There is anecdotal evidence that it was believed to ward off infection or protect against bodily injuries.

[rmartin]

Roger, that would be a great big arrow......

[painshill]

rmartin wrote:

Roger, that would be a great big arrow......

  That's a whopper Ray!
I'm sure they were imagining a gargantuan struggle going on in the heavens between forces too powerful to comprehend. I think it's really interesting how things that aren't really understood give rise to legends that attempt to explain them. Virtually every culture has legends that involve otherwise inexplicable objects coming from the sky as a result of "warring gods".

[rmartin]

Good observation Roger. That is the largest log in The Petrified Forest, at least that I saw. Here is one of the critters they found there...

[painshill]

... and did you know about the "curse of the petrified forest"?  :woohoo:  :evil:

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-petrifiedcurse.html

Turn those pockets out, now.  :laugh:

[rmartin]

That's good Roger. That is the first time I had seen that article but I have seen similar. I can honestly say the only piece I took home from there was a Polished slab I bought in the Gift shop. Now if I could of gotten that big one in my pocket....... B)

[Butch Wilson]

The Petrified Forest is on my itenerary this summer ! I will not be bringing any back ! This brings to mind the "long long trailer " movie starring Lucille Ball .  Lucy loads so many rocks into their camping trailer they have to stop along the road to lighten the load to keep from going over the edge of the mountain pass !

[Ron Kelley]

Here is some from Eastern Texas: