August 19, 2025
PHNOM PENH – The remains of a fossilised tree estimated to be between 100,000 years and two million years old has been excavated in Stung Treng province. Almost 20 of its estimated 30 metre length has been uncovered, and be used for research, as well as to promote eco-tourism for local indigenous people.
The site is in Katout village, Phon commune, in Stung Treng’s Sesan district.
District governor Sovann Piseth explained that the tree was discovered earlier this year, when workers were digging into the Neang Teng and Katout mountains while constructing a new road, under a commune funded project.
“As we dug, we hit stone that was very hard. We investigated and suspected it was petrified timber. After digging about 4–5 metres, we stopped,” he told The Post on Monday, August 18.
The district authorities then announced the discovery, with the Ministry of Environment conducted later studies and collaborating on further excavation.
Lim Vanchan, head of the Cultural Heritage Office of the ministry’s General Department of Local Communities, determined that the petrified tree is between 100,000 years and two million years old.
The excavation team included officials from the district administration, the provincial Departments of Culture and Fine Arts, Environment, and specialists from the ministry. The specialists estimated that the tree is about 30 metres long, or possibly more, and is buried within layers of clay soil and limestone. As many as 17.5 meters have been excavated, according to the ministry.
Both local authorities and the ministry explained that the site will be developed into an eco-tourism area, managed by indigenous communities, in the future.
The fossil is estimated to be from 100,000 to two million years old. Environment ministry. PHOTO: ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY/THE PHNOM PENH POST
“We have dug about 4–5 metres deep. We still haven’t reached the end. We don’t yet know its full length. Our goal is to determine the exact size, clean it and build a facility to prevent damage or erosion. Then we will arrange for tourists and researchers to visit,” said Piseth.
The ministry has previously determined that the Kingdom’s oldest fossils were discovered at Kang Va Mountain in Serei Saophoan town, Banteay Meanchey province. Studies at that site showed the fossil layers were associated with marine animal fossils, indicating that the area may once have been an island or dry land during the Permian period, about 250–300 million years ago, in the Paleozoic era.
Fossilised trees have been found in 14 locations across Cambodia, including in Ratanakkiri, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Koh Kong and Banteay Meanchey provinces.