WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE MYSTERY

of the ancient trees from the 9th century standing upright at the bottom of the lake?

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The bottom of Lake Altaussee has an underwater forest with approximately 150 trees that are standing upright. Most of the trees were identified as fir. Applying dendrochronological methods, the time of death can be determined quite accurately. The outermost growth rings of the trees examined date back to around 860 AD.

Transporting an ancient fir tree from a depth of 18 m
Tree core and growth curve of the ancient fir
Transporting an ancient fir tree from a depth of 18 m

SOIL SAMPLES

While soil, gravel and clay trapped in the root zone of the underwater trees differ from the sediment material found elsewhere in the lake bed, they most closely resemble the material from the western mountain slopes. Therefore, the trees most likely originated from the surrounding mountain slopes, and slipped down into what we know as the lake bed today. What caused this event is still a mystery, but it was probably associated with a major c limatic event or earthquake.

Gravel from Loser mountain slope
Gravel from root zone of submerged tree #195
Gravel from lake bottom

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