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Description
This small portion of a fossilized mastodon tusk is the oldest object in Winterthur’s collection. Radiocarbon dating conducted in 2023 concluded that the mastodon was alive about 21,000 years ago. Mastodons were native to North America. Early naturalists and scientists became fascinated by the bones of these giant mammals and excavations grew more frequent across the continent. The discovery of this ivory tusk is conjecture: at some point during the 19th century it was stabilized with plaster and given a paper label glued to each side identifying it as sourced in Mississippi. Museum records do not preserve where or how the donor, Gertrude Brinckle (1885-1973) acquired it. A Wilmington resident and professional personal secretary, Ms. Brinckle worked closely with artist and illustrator Howard Pyle from 1904-1911, then for a private family, and later with the Historical Society of Delaware.