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Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

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Table 5.1 Class characteristics of selected commercial ivories<br />

pinkish coloration than ivory, and on close<br />

examination show tiny striations if cut and<br />

polished. Other palm species such as the<br />

African doom palm (Hyphaene thebaica) and<br />

the South Pacific species Metroxylon<br />

amicarum also produce ivory-like nuts but are<br />

less commonly encountered or marketed than<br />

Phytelephas macrocarpa.<br />

Synthetic polymers or plastics have been<br />

used to imitate ivory since they were first<br />

produced. Indeed the impetus behind the<br />

development of cellulose nitrate or celluloid,<br />

one of the earliest plastics, was the desire to<br />

find a replacement for ivory billiard balls.<br />

Pigmented and layered celluloid was made to<br />

at least superficially copy the grain of elephant<br />

ivory. Recent restrictions on the ivory trade<br />

have given fresh impetus to the manufacture<br />

of imitation ivory.<br />

Identification of ivory, bone and antler<br />

Pieces of furniture composed of bulk material<br />

or unmodified structures present few problems<br />

Other materials and structures 199<br />

Source Modified tooth Macroscopic characteristic Microscopic Enamel UV<br />

characteristic characteristic<br />

(10)<br />

Elephant (Asian<br />

and African)<br />

Mammoth<br />

Walrus tusk<br />

Walrus teeth<br />

Killer/sperm<br />

whale<br />

Narwhal<br />

Hippopotamus<br />

Hippopotamus<br />

Hippopotamus<br />

Wart hog<br />

Upper incisors<br />

Upper incisors<br />

Upper canines<br />

All teeth<br />

All teeth<br />

Upper incisor<br />

Upper canines<br />

Lower canines<br />

Lower incisors<br />

Upper and<br />

lower canines<br />

Schreger angles > 115° in<br />

cross-section<br />

Schreger angles > 90° in<br />

cross-section<br />

Secondary dentine in<br />

cross-section<br />

Cementum rings in crosssection;<br />

hypercementosis<br />

Dentine rings in crosssection<br />

Spiral; hollow centre in<br />

cross-section<br />

Oval cross-section angular<br />

TIZ<br />

Triangular cross-section;<br />

angular TIZ<br />

Peg-shaped; no TIZ (dot)<br />

Squared cross-section;<br />

linear TIZ<br />

Fine concentric<br />

lines in crosssection<br />

Fine concentric<br />

lines in crosssection<br />

Fine concentric<br />

lines in crosssection<br />

Fine concentric<br />

lines in crosssection<br />

Tip worn away<br />

Tip worn away<br />

Tip may be worn<br />

Tip<br />

Tip worn away<br />

Longituinal band<br />

Longituinal band<br />

Tip<br />

Longituinal band<br />

Vivianite may<br />

be present<br />

TIZ = tusk interstitial zone<br />

Source: Edgard O. Espinoza and Mary-Jacque Mann (1992) Identification Guide for Ivory and Ivory Substitutes, 2nd edn, World<br />

Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, with permission<br />

of identification (Burek, 1989). While<br />

microscopy is often necessary to accurately<br />

assign a species origin to small, heavily<br />

worked or degraded material, much useful<br />

identification relies on an understanding of the<br />

structures involved and examination with the<br />

naked eye. A scheme developed by Espinoza<br />

and Mann (1992) for the preliminary characterization<br />

of ivory and ivory substitutes in<br />

cross-section is shown in Figure 5.7. Table 5.1<br />

shows class characteristics of selected commercial<br />

ivories. Krzyskowska (1990) has proposed<br />

a diagnostic flow chart, based on the physical<br />

characteristics of the material, to distinguish<br />

between elephant, mammoth and hippopotamus<br />

ivory, boar tusk, bone and antler.<br />

Penniman’s (1952) classic identification guide<br />

for osseous materials and vegetable ivory, with<br />

photographs of transverse and longitudinal<br />

sections at low magnification, remains<br />

valuable. A comparative study by S. O’Connor<br />

(1987) of new and archaeological samples of<br />

osseous and keratinaceous materials includes

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