About 10 thousand years ago, shaggy giants called mammoths inhabited northern Siberia. Now, an extinct genus of mammals was affected by the rise in temperature at the end of the last Ice Age, and Ancient hunters killed woolly mammoths for their meat, which resulted in their habitat being flooded and reduced. Animals caught in limbo on an isolated island, with no chance of returning to the mainland. Some populations, which had adapted to these land areas to the east and north of Siberia, delayed their extinction and became extinct about 3,700 years ago.
Mammoth Tusks
The remains of mammoths, in particular their tusks, to date, are the most common fossils in the Siberian lands. Scientists estimate that the reserves of this ancient material in Russia reach hundreds of thousands of tonnes, with annual production of several tens of tonnes (20-60). Given the volume of produced relics, one can only imagine what a significant number of mammoths lived on these lands in those days. Mammoth tusk weight—Known tusks, champions curled in spirals on 4-4.5 metres, their weight was equal to 100-110 kg and diameter 18-19 cm. Photographs by Evgenia Arbugaeva
Woolly Mammoth Hunting
Woolly mammoth tusk found — The indigenous peoples of the northern areas often find these tusks washed up in spring waters. They believe that the giant animals move underground, with only their huge "fangs" showing. They called their Eggor, i.e., earthen deer. According to another legend, the mammoths lived in the early times of creation. Because of their enormous weight, they constantly fall onto his chest on the ground. In creating mammoth paths, they formed rivers and streams, which eventually led to the complete flooding (there is a legend that during the biblical flood animals would be saved on Noah's ark but could not fit there). For some time, the animals floated over the vast waters. Photographs by Evgenia Arbugaeva
Throughout the European part of Russia and Siberia, and up to the middle of the 20th century, folk art of carving on bone actively flourished. Local carvers carved combs, boxes, and miniature sculptures exclusively from the tusks of mammoths. This material is gorgeous and durable plastic, though it is somewhat complicated to handle. Its hardness is equivalent to that of materials such as pearls, amber, and coral. Mammoth bones are easily handled by a cutter, acquiring a striking mesh pattern, and their large size allows them to be shaped into virtually any sculptural form.
Mammoth tusks are returned from the permafrost by hard-working seekers. Their production is quite complex, as part of the ancient material lies in the swampy areas at the bottom of the river, in the tundra. Often, tusks are found on the banks of streams, lakes, and ravines. To extract a single artefact, an earner is required to carry out several hours to several days of continuous excavation. Before you pick up the found material, hunters throw tusks into a hole dug for silver jewellery or coloured balls as offerings to the local spirits.
Today, virtually all mining of mammoth tusks in the vast Siberia is illegal, and about 90% of the received "Treasures" is ultimately in China, where the very revered ancient tradition of carving on ivory is. The rapid growth of demand caused some concern among researchers, since it leads to the loss of valuable data about living on this land, animals, and tusks, which contain information about the climate, feed, and environment. Perhaps the permafrost of Siberia still locks millions and even more mammoth tusks, but finding them every year becomes more and more difficult.
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