In 1982 in Japan, a settlement was excavated that was 2000 years old. In a grain pit, was found a single seed of a magnolia. It was alive and germinated into an unknown variety with flowers like no modern magnolia.
A wrapped statue of Osiris was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun (1329 BC) When it was unwrapped, he sprouted - his moulded shape having been filled with Nile mud into which seeds had been presed - a literal resurrection!
Older than the fungus in Oetzi's boots are the seeds of the Arctic lupin. Buried in permafrost and then excavated from layers 10,000 years old, they were warmed and watered. Most were dead, but a few germinated.
The bristlecone pines of California are generally regarded as the oldest living organisms. A few have been dated by inserting an auger into them and counting tree rings. Resulting age of over 4,600 years established.
Any more contenders?
