Mammoth tusk to go on public display starting March 8



SEATTLE -- The Burke Museum unveiled the ice-age, 8.5-foot mammoth tusk found by construction workers digging in Seattle's South Lake Union area, and said the public will get to see the tusk in its plaster casing during "Dino Day" on March 8 and during the following weekends in March.

The museum said that because it was found Feb. 12 in moist, sandy sediments just a couple of blocks from Lake Union, the tusk is waterlogged and very fragile. It can scratch easily, like a scratching a crayon with your fingernail, it said.

In order to protect the fossil -- the most complete and largest mammoth tusk ever found in Seattle -- the tusk will need to slowly dry out -- a process that will take at least 12 months. During that time, it will stay in the plaster cast, which helped protect the tusk when it was moved from the AMLI Residential apartment site on Feb. 14.

(Photo: Dan Loya/KCPQ-TV)



 

(Photo: Dan Loya/KCPQ-TV)

(Photo: Dan Loya/KCPQ-TV)



(Photo: Dan Loya/KCPQ-TV)

(Photo: Dan Loya/KCPQ-TV)