Hello and help me find this BIG BONE I found in 1960 in Long Beach California

[Mark Cortright]

This is a bone I found in a field while digging our fort near the Long Beach Airport (where later in life I took flying lessons just before buying my potter's wheel) I'm the kid on the left wearing my old hat with our family dog Tiger between my brother Phillip on the right. The local paper (Long Beach Press-Telegram) in the Sunday section did a piece on us and my bone. It was a large one as you can see . I'm guessing I was 8-10 years old. I have always had good luck with finding stuff. The short version is a museum took an interest in my bone and my Parents gave it to them. I never found out what animal it was from or for that matter what museum took it without MY permission. I still think about righting this wrong as I know it's in a basement somewhere in an LA county  or other museum collecting dust. All folks who knew about this are long dead so it's still a mystery to me on where this bone may be now

I would guess since I was Born in 1953 the year this was was 1960-62. I live in the other end of the state since 1971  so checking them out is hard so I need to narrow the search down a bit. Any tips on museums in the southern California area  that have bones  in their collections would help me track this down. I should have dug in (no pun intended) and never let it go as I know its not on display 64 years later.Any guess on what animal or bone it may be would be great as well .

[Fin Lover]

I can't help with the bone, but welcome to the forum!

[ClearLake]

Interesting story.  Could be a mastodon fibula (lower leg bone)  Check out this link below from the University of Michigan for a 3-D image of one.  If your brother would have just moved his arm a bit, we might have been able to see the end to have a better chance at an ID.  Perhaps one of our members more familiar with mammoth/mastodon material will be able to verify this.  There are not a lot of options for something of this size from that area that I am aware of.  The La Brea museum has tons of bones, someone there could probably ID it for you from the picture if you prefer.

 

https://umorf.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/wp/wp-content/3d/viewer.html?name=B_L_FIB

[Gizmo]

Welcome aboard! 

[DE&i]

Welcome to TFF

[jpc]

certainly a mammoth or mastodon leg bone.  

 

Let me add this.  Once you do find it, I would  I would be surprised if the museum would give it back to you.  I work in a museum, and once something is donated, it is property of the museum.  It would be cool to go see it and be proud of your find.  

[Mark Cortright]

 Yes I know jpc that its a very this chance of getting it back but knowing more about it would be great. Once into a Museum never out as I have donated before in other areas (not bones) Any other Bone Museum's in So-Cal area ??

Edited March 12 by Mark Cortright

[Mark Kmiecik]

Welcome from Illinois.