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Prehistoric Log recovered from quarry6000 year old oak treeMarch 17, 2001 -- Divers from Southern Ohio SCUBA Club and UnderWater World Scuba/Sports of Portsmouth, OH located and marked an underwater tree that could be in excess of 5,000 years old. The tree was laying at an angle of 15 to 30 feet under water in a sand and gravel pit in Lucasville, OH. The log was initially encountered while dredging the quarry last fall, but was lost in the depths until a coordinated search by divers located the tree on Friday evening. On Saturday, the divers returned to the 38 degree water to attach cables to the log so it could be removed from the water. A sample of the 35 foot log will be sent to a laboratory for radiocarbon dating to determine the actual age. Representatives from the OHIO DEPT. OF NATURAL RECOURSES, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY as well as local media were on hand as the enormous log was slowly lifted from the murky depths. A sample from an oak tree recovered from the same quarry last year was revealed to be 5,970 years old, plus or minus 40 years, according to Chuck Jewett, spokesman for Taeys Valley Ancient Wood, the company that will sell the lumber from the log. Jewett said that as huge as this log was, it is miniscule compared to some of the logs which are being uncovered as the quarry is mined to deeper and deeper levels. This unique and rare wood is in high demand for a variety of upscale building applications.
Divers CHRIS MASSIE and JIM GAMBILL relax after connecting cables to huge underwater log.
Local divers CHRIS MASSIE and DAVE VETTER survey their find after removal from the cold water. For another press release from the owner of the wood, click here.
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