Bog-wood represents the early stages in the fossilisation of wood. Bog oak is from a variety of tree types (oak, pine & yew) that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water. Bog oak can remain undecayed for thousands of years it is of use in dendrochronology, often providing records much older than living trees. Wooden artefacts lost or buried in bogs become preserved as bog-wood, and are important in archaeology. It is a rare form of timber that is comparable to some of the world s most expensive tropical hardwoods. For many years Irish Bog Oak was used as a substitute for other black woods such as Ebony. Semi dry bog oak is exceptionally hard, sometimes of the golden or copper colour, or with a tint of some other hue. Older wood can be completely black. Finding Bog Oak: (from the Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837) The most valuable timber is that found in the bogs; it consists of fir, oak, and yew, but chiefly the two former: in red bogs, fir is generally found; in black bogs, oak. The fir is frequently of very large dimensions, and most of the farmers houses near places where it can be procured are roofed with it. The manner of finding these trees is somewhat curious: very early in the morning, before the dew evaporates, a man takes with him to the bog a long, slender, sharp spear, and as the dew never lies on the part over the trees, he can ascertain their situation and length, and thrusting down his spear, can easily discover whether they are sound or decayed: if sound, he marks with a spade the spot where they lie, and at his leisure proceeds to extricate them from their bed.
