Visit the ArchIvory Project booth at the First Thursdays festival on April 3 to explore the fascinating histories of ivory artifacts in Indiana.

Every ivory carving has a story to tell, and each one connects Indiana to the wider world of families, elephants, art or trade. By partnering with community members and combining oral history, archival research and scientific analysis, the ArchIvory Project is uncovering the global journeys that brought ivory carvings to the Midwest, and illuminating the deep connections between people, places and elephants across time.

Do you own an ivory carving and wonder about its origins? Bring it to the ArchIvory booth, where in just three minutes, a non-destructive test using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy can be conducted to analyze the item’s elemental composition to help trace its origins.

For those willing to donate a small sample, the team will conduct DNA and other scientific tests to uncover even more details about an artifact’s origins.

What does your ivory carving mean to you and your family? Owners are also invited to share the history and significance of their items. Personal stories are essential to understanding these objects and the broader human histories they represent.

The most powerful histories begin with the materials and stories we inherit, not just the objects found in museums.