[Bonetools] Mammoth tusk as raw material in Roman times?

[SA O'Connor]

Dear Sonja,

I would be really interested in knowing the basis of this  
identification.  If this is based on Schreger angle measurements, it  
may not be possible to differentiate mammoth from extant elephant with  
any confidence from a fragment.

Only the outer Schreger angles are diagnostic, i.e. those in the  
outermost layers of the dentine, close to the cementum covering of the  
tusk. Towards the centre of a tusk the angles become progressively  
smaller and similar in character whether the tusk is from an extant  
and extinct proboscidean species. So, even if the Schreger angles  
average less than 100 or even 90 degrees, unless traces of the  
cementum are visible the fragment might come from any position in the  
tusk and could be elephant or mammoth.

All the best,

Sonia


kQuoting Sonja Vukovic <sonja.vukovic at gmail.com>:

> Dear colleagues,
>
> I am forwarding you a query from our colleague, Dr Sofija Petkovic from the
> Institute of Archaeology in Belgrade. She is analysing an object made of
> the mammoth tusk, found in Romuliana (Serbia), that dates back to the Roman
> period. The object is fragmented and it represents an elephant's head done
> in a relief. The function of this item is unclear, but it was probably an
> application for some kind of furniture or sarcophagi, etc..
>
> She is wondering weather anyone has ever identified a mammoth tusk as raw
> material in Roman period?!
>
> Anyway, she is going to publish this object soon!
>
> Thank you very much,
> best wishes,
>
> Sonja
>
> --
> Sonja Vukovic
> Laboratory for bioarchaeology
> Faculty of Philosophy
> University of Belgrade
> Serbia
>


----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.