Tusk of a woolly mammoth is displayed in Arktikum Science Centre

A huge tusk of a woolly mammoth is now on display in Arktikum Science Centre. The tusk was found in Yakut, and it reveals the impressive size of a woolly mammoth.

The last habitats of the extinct mammoths were in Siberia. Remains of the mammoth are still found in Siberia, preserved in the permafrost for tens of thousands of years. The frozen ground is like a grand freezer.

– The tusk in the exhibition is also a bit hidden, like under the ice, describes exhibition designer Anna Hyvönen.

The tusk has been confiscated, and it was donated to the Arctic Centre by the Finnish National Board of Customs in 1993.

Several indigenous peoples in Siberia have believed that the mammoth lived under the ground but died if they accidentally came to the surface. This explained why no one saw mammoths alive for thousands of years.

– The word mammoth originates from the indigenous peoples of Siberia, and it refers to a horn found from the ground, tells science communicator Marjo Laukkanen.

More information:

Exhibition designer Anna Hyvönen, +358 40 484 4289, firstname.surname@ulapland.fi

The confiscated tusk of a woolly mammoth weighs about 45 kilos. Photo: Santeri Happonen