The most ancient artefact stored in the National History Museum of Azerbaijan, is a petrified fragment of a tree which used to grow on the Earth around 33.9-23 mln. years ago during Oligocene. Discovered by researchers of the Institute of Geography of ANAS, the fossil had been conserved among Maikopian deposits of Shamakhi. In 2000, the Institute’s director Budag Budagov presented the finding to the Museum. According to expert estimates, the fossil is at least 25 mln. years old. It dates back to a period in the natural history, which is marked with global cooling, replacement of tropical forests with broad lowlands, as well as emergence of the new species of predators, as well as the ancestors of present-day apes, elephants, horses, etc.

52.5 cm long and 12 cm wide fossil is a rare showpiece that stirs profound interest of the Museum’s visitors.