Oldest yew tree found in Turkey’s north
ISTANBUL
Photo Credit: Arkeofili
A 4,112-year-old yew tree has been discovered in the northern province of Zonguldak, making it the oldest yew tree known in the country.Dating back to the Bronze Age, the yew tree is the oldest known tree in Anatolia and one of the five oldest trees in the world.
Ercan Oktan from Karadeniz Technical University’s Faculty of Forestry and Murat Yıldız from Anturia Consulting determined the tree to be 4,112 years old after examining its rings in a laboratory.
The research has also shown that yew trees can live for around four millennia if not disturbed by humans.
The yew was found by Zonguldak Provincial Director of Nature Conservation and National Parks Sezgin Örmeci, who said locals informed of the plant, prompting examinations.
The area of 150 hectares on which the tree is located will be declared as a natural monument and added to the existing Gumeli Natural Monument, Örmeci told Arkeofili.
