Twenty-five samples of ivory artefacts were analysed using a radiocarbon dating method. These artefacts were part of a collection of 77 items seized during a wildlife law enforcement operation targeting online illegal ivory trade. Based on the opinion of a qualified expert, 14 of the 25 samples were declared antique, meaning their presumed origin is older than 1947. According to the European Union’s law, antique ivory is exempt from an otherwise total ban on commercial ivory activities since such trade does not contribute to the current decline in elephant population. The radiocarbon measurement has revealed alarming findings that 17 of the 25 processed samples (68%) are not antique as their origin is younger than 1947. The antique expert’s determination of the ivory age failed in 12 of 14 cases (86%).

使用放射性碳测年法分析了25个象牙制品的样本。这些文物是野生动植物执法行动中针对网上非法象牙交易查获的77件物品的一部分。根据一位合格专家的意见，在25个样本中有14个被宣布为古董，这意味着它们的推测来源早于1947年。根据欧盟法律，古董象牙可免于以其他方式完全禁止商业象牙活动，因为此类交易并不能促进当前大象数量的减少。放射性碳的测量揭示了令人震惊的发现，因为25个经过处理的样本中有17个（68％）不是古董，因为它们的来源比1947年还年轻。古董专家对象牙年龄的确定在14个案例中有12个（86％）未能通过。