Mammoth Tusk & Ivory

Our workshop obtains mammoth ivory through ethical and legal means. The expedition team we collaborate with holds a license for “subsoil use” and the collection of paleontological materials from mammoth fauna in Yakutia.

Annually, during the summer season, difficult-to-reach regions in the north of Yakutia are explored when the permafrost slightly thaws. Preparing for the expedition requires significant investments, ranging from half a million rubles and more. However, predicting the outcome is impossible. Besides the risks to life, explorers might return empty-handed after months of challenging expeditions in harsh conditions.

Most excavations take place in the northern regions, where the permafrost conditions contribute to the exceptional preservation of the fossils. Mammoth ivory extraction is a complex and labor-intensive process, mainly due to the frequent findings in marshy areas, tundra, and riverbeds. Additionally, mammoth ivory is discovered in glaciers or on the shores of streams or lakes when the ice partially melts. Retrieving a single artifact may require several hours to several days of continuous excavation work.