[VANDOO]

THE 3 KERIS PICTURED ARE RECENT BUT I HAVE SEEN A FEW EXAMPLES IN OLD POSTS ON THE FORUM THAT SEEMED TO HAVE MORE AGE. I HAVE SEEN IT USED ON SOME PHILIPPINE WEAPONS AS WELL BUT IT IS MORE RARE. SO I WOULDN'T JUMP TO THE CONCLUSION THAT ALL ARE RECENTLY MADE.
THESE STEGODON FOSSILS WOULD BE AT LEAST 11 THOUSAND YEARS OLD AND MOST LIKELY OLDER AS THE MAMOTH AND MASTADON BECAME EXTINT AROUND THEN.
I CAN'T IDENTIFY THE MATERIAL IN THE FIRST PICTURE BUT THE MATERIAL USED ON THE KERIS AND THE 3 FRAGMENTS APPEAR TO BE FROM THE SPECIES OF STEGODON FOUND IN JAVA. THERE HAS BEEN INTREST IN FOSSIL TEETH SINCE ANCIENT TIMES SO IT IS VERY LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED. SUCH TEETH HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO AS DRAGONS TEETH AND MAGICAL POWERS ATTRIBUTED TO THEM AND HAVE BEEN USED IN MEDICINE AND AS TAILSMAN FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO USE ON ANCIENT WEAPONS IS A POSSIBILITY WHERE STABLE MATERIAL COULD BE FOUND. I COULD ONLY FIND ONE PICTURE OF A MORO SWORD USING IT AS A POMMEL.
THE PATTERN IN THE STONE IS DETERMINED BY THE DIRECTION IT IS CUT IN. I HAVE A SQUARE BLOCK OF JAVA STEGODON AND THE PATTERN IS DIFFERENT ON ALL 6 SIDES, SO THERE CAN BE QUITE A LOT OF VARIATION EVEN IN ONE TOOTH. THERE ARE MANY OTHER KINDS OF FOSSIL ELEPHANT TEETH AS WELL AS TITANOTHERE AND OTHERS SO THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIATIONS POSSIBLE. BUT FINDING GOOD STABLE MATERIAL IS A PROBLEM. MOST OF THE FOSSIL IVORY CARVED IN BALI INTO PENDANTS ECT. ARE FROM SIBERIA OR ALASKA MOSTLY MAMMOTH TUSK IS USED.