MAMMOTH IVORY
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A section of Mammoth Ivory tusk
The wooly mammoth is the source of Mammoth ivory, the majority of which comes from Siberia where it has been permanently deep frozen for the last 10,000 years. These mammoths 'come to light' in this sparsely populated area during their brief summers when the permafrost softens or perhaps when erosion occurs. There are a number of expeditions that annually search for mammoths and it is not uncommon for 2 tons of ivory to be uncovered during a season. The wooly mammoth was an imposing animal standing about 12 feet high and weighing about 10 tons, it's tusks could be 15 feet long and weigh 150lbs each. Much of the ivory that is recovered is required for scientific examination. That which is released for commercial use might be in the form of complete tusks or odd pieces. It has to be cut into manageable sized pieces and the outer surface has to be removed as well as any areas that are damaged. During this painstaking selection process a large amount is rejected, some of which is used for such purposes as small jewellery items or piano key facings but despite this as much as 70% cannot be used! |
In 1977 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species was successful in banning the slaughter of Elephants for their tusks and any ivory that has been available has had to be certified as having been legally obtained prior to 1946. The time is rapidly approaching when there will no longer be any of this material available. Fortunately there is an alternative that is almost impossible to distinguish from elephant ivory. This is Mammoth ivory. It is understood that the Mammoth originated in Africa about 50 million years ago, which was about 10 million years after the dinosaurs had become extinct and, whilst the elephant bears a resemblance to the mammoth it is not a direct descendant and did not evolve until about 10 million years ago. The mammoth spread throughout Europe, Asia and America. At that time America and Russia were joined at Alaska, and there is considerable evidence of the existence of mammoths in England. By the end of the last ice age, 10 thousand years ago, the mammoths that were in the Northern hemisphere had developed into what we now know as the wooly mammoth.
A piece of Mammoth Ivory used for fittings
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