Brief History: The trunks, dating back to the Permian Period 200-280 million years ago, were washed down prehistoric rivers and deposited in alluvial sands. In a diagenesis process under high pressure the sand turned into sandstone. The trunks silificated: a silicic acid solution went into the molecular structures of the wood and replaced the organic material over a long period of time. The product is called "wooden opal". From 1945 the SWA administration made southern Kaokeland available for settlement. The farmers AJ and JH Oberholzer discovered the trunks on the farm Rooiberg, No. 517. It was recorded scientifically by Dr Charles L Champ and RG Rodin in 1951.
Legal Status: Declared as National Monument on 01.03.1950 by the Historical Monuments Commission for South West Africa (HMC).
Information provided by the National Heritage Council of Namibia.