Fossil Leaves Preserved in Travertine

Fossil leaves preserved in travertine from Mariastein, Tyrol, Austria, a locality where mineral-rich hot springs deposited successive layers of limestone over fallen foliage roughly 12,000 years ago (Late Pleistocene), entombing the leaves in fine detail as the travertine formed around them. The result is a dense, textured slab where vein patterns and leaf outlines survive in raised relief across the surface, a form of preservation that's uncommon since it requires rapid mineral encrustation rather than the compression/carbonization typical of most plant fossils. This piece measures 5.5" x 7" and shows multiple overlapping leaf impressions.