Foo - Hmmm. Why did I think this was illegal?

I may be wrong about bone but what about ivory?

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=695975

I think manatees are endangered and it would be illegal.

it says it is fossil ivory. Probably has to be "found" in nature, like washed up on a beach etc. and not harvested by killing an animal. Just my thought.

A google search of fossil ivory will answer your question Siu. It is dug at old Eskimo sites, etc. and it usually very old.

hmm.. no laws on removal of artifacts or items from a historical settlement?

If they're just bits of fossilized ivory that haven't been made into a tool/whatever, meh. I don't see any ethical problems with using fossilized ivory, if it came from a burial site though...that would be problematic.

hmm.. no laws on removal of artifacts or items from a historical settlement?

Fossil ivory can be collected w/ permission of the landowner (fed, state(AK), or private)* unless it's part of an archeological (human) site in which case it can't be touched regardless of whether the land is public or private..

It's not ivory though it's rock. Used to be ivory.


*permission is never implicit from US or Alaska gov't, need to get it formally

^ Doh I should have thought of the fact it's *stone* not actual ivory. It's Physical Anthropology that's messin' with my brain...all the pretty skulls...

My bit of googleresearch says it is barely fossillized and has not turned to mineral yet. Slightly harder than regular ivory and still worked like regular ivory.