These pieces are about 45 million years old, younger than the dinosaurs but older than any known human beings. Fragments of petrified trees were found in the valley of the Aidar River in Luhansk Oblast. These are remnants of a prehistoric forest that grew here in the humid subtropical climate of the Eocene epoch. Over millions of years, the wood slowly turned into stone: its cells were replaced by minerals, mostly quartz, preserving the fiber structure and even annual rings. The color — from milky white to nearly black — depends on which impurities became part of this natural sculpture: iron, manganese, or silica. Today, these fragments are not only of geological value, they are also a symbol of our ancient land. Touch them; feel their power.