Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

for the elephant, is where the dentine is formed. Figure 5 gives an excellent illustration
of the lamellae and commissure in the transverse of the hippopotamus lower canine. The
center of the longitudinal section reveals the ‘inner dentine’ which is the most recently
formed dentine. Compared to the outer dentine it often looks marbled and somewhat
translucent, with a sometimes greenish color (Krzyszkowska 1990: 44).
There are eight incisors of the hippopotamus, two of each type for a total of four
types in each jaw: a larger lower incisor (I1 in Figure 3), a smaller lower (I2), a larger
upper (I 1 ), and a smaller upper (I 2 , not shown). The incisors are longer in the lower jaw
and can reach 17 cm in length from the gum, and 6 cm in diameter. They project
outwards and slightly upwards, with a tapering pulp cavity in the proximal end. The
outer incisors in both jaws are furthermore larger than the inner incisors. They all
possess blunt tips, but the small incisors have a more marked distal wear facet. Unlike
the canines, the incisors are straight and have a sub-circular cross-section, where
discontinuous and wavy concentric lamellae are visible as well as the “heartline” running
through the center. However, the heartline is usually difficult to identify on artifacts
made of hippo incisors (see Figure 6). The longitudinal section shows the lamellae
running parallel with the surface and curving toward the distal end of the heartline
(Eltringham 1999: 14; Krzyszkowska 1990: 39-42).
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are obvious visual differences in elephant and hippopotamus
ivory which may be used for identification purposes. There are, moreover, advantages
and disadvantages to each type of ivory. Elephant ivory offers larger pieces for artisans
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