Sathanur fossilized tree trunks, Paleontological site in Sathanur, Tamil Nadu, India
The Sathanur fossilized tree trunks are a collection of petrified logs found in Sathanur village, in the Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The fossils, mainly from conifer trees, lie exposed along stream areas and are protected within a fenced site that includes a small museum.
Geologist M. S. Krishnan from the Geological Survey of India discovered these fossils in the 1940s and identified them as dating from the Cretaceous period, roughly 100 million years old. The site was officially recognized as a geological monument in 1951, which secured its protection.
The site draws geologists and nature lovers who come to see how the landscape of Tamil Nadu has shifted over millions of years. Local guides are on hand to walk visitors through what they are looking at and explain how the fossils came to be.
The cooler months from late summer to early winter are the most comfortable time to visit. The site is reachable by road from nearby towns, and basic facilities including restrooms are available on site.
Some of the logs lying here reach around 60 feet (about 18 meters) in length, making them larger than many living trees in the region today. The rocks surrounding the fossils also contain marine fossils, which shows that this land was once covered by the ocean.
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