<P> There is some evidence of either whale or walrus ivory used by the ancient Irish . Solinus, a Roman writer in the 3rd century claimed that the Celtic peoples in Ireland would decorate their sword - hilts with the' teeth of beasts that swim in the sea' . Adomnan of Iona wrote a story about St Columba giving a sword decorated with carved ivory as a gift that a penitent would bring to his master so he could redeem himself from slavery . </P> <P> The Syrian and North African elephant populations were reduced to extinction, probably due to the demand for ivory in the Classical world . </P> <P> The Chinese have long valued ivory for both art and utilitarian objects . Early reference to the Chinese export of ivory is recorded after the Chinese explorer Zhang Qian ventured to the west to form alliances to enable the eventual free movement of Chinese goods to the west; as early as the first century BC, ivory was moved along the Northern Silk Road for consumption by western nations . Southeast Asian kingdoms included tusks of the Indian elephant in their annual tribute caravans to China . Chinese craftsmen carved ivory to make everything from images of deities to the pipe stems and end pieces of opium pipes . </P> <P> The Buddhist cultures of Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, traditionally harvested ivory from their domesticated elephants . Ivory was prized for containers due to its ability to keep an airtight seal . It was also commonly carved into elaborate seals utilized by officials to "sign" documents and decrees by stamping them with their unique official seal . </P>

Where did ivory come from on the silk road
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