Mammoth Tusk Straight Divot Tool #2

Mammoth tusks unearthed in areas like Alaska and Siberia are able to retain the original properties of ivory because they have literally been frozen for most of this time. Still, most tusks have undergone cycles of freezing and thawing during the thousands of years they lay buried and will absorb many minerals and colors from the surrounding soil. This particular piece is a very uniform light brown.  The striations on the underside of the tool are where the outer section of the tusk, called the bark, separated from the main tusk.

Running throughout the tool you can also see a series of cross-hatched lines called Schreger Lines, named after Bernhard Schreger who first described them in 1800. The lines are formed as successive cone-shaped layers of tusk are added on as the tusk grows. These lines are unique to Elephant and Mammoth ivories and are one of the ways to tell real ivory from fake. The two ivories can be further differentiated by the angles formed by the outside lines. In Elephant Ivory these lines will form an obtuse angle greater than 115 degrees but in Mammoth ivory they will form an acute angle less than 90 degrees.

At just under 3" long and 7/8" wide this divot tool is slightly larger than most of my tools.