Mammoth Ivory Scales?

[shakie]

Another place to check out is Miles of Alaska. Even just to look at all his cool stuff.

 

[Jessica Bybee Walker]

Most of the tusks recovered are 10,000-20,000 years old and have been preserves in ice packs. They are not fossilized, or at the very beginning stages of fossilization. Fossilization takes much longer. Fossils are basically stone for all practical purposes and much harder to work.

Most of the tusks found are a minimum of 15,000 years old. The majority of the tusks actually come from the ground, not ice. Ice tusks are quite rare. When tusks are preserved in ice, they typically do not pick up color on the outside. You are correct with the term "fossilized". However, it is used as the industry to describe mammoth and walrus ivory. The more correct term would be mineralized.