On Nov. 1, Rick Allard will try to sell a rather beastly chunk of the last ice age through the modern marvel called cyberspace.
History is up for grabs to the highest bidder.
Mambo comes courtesy of Allard's Simi Valley, Calif., auction company, a broker in Sparks, Nev., and a Russian museum, all linked by the computer information age. The event comes amid a raging debate over whether fossils, shipwreck artifacts and all things ancient should fall into private hands. Allard and Daniel Quint, the Nevada broker, tried to distance themselves from the scientific controversy but also said they are willing to roll with those punches. They figure if there's a market for Elvis' jackets and Army clothes, maybe there's interest in a mammoth skeleton. They expect a museum or someone buying it for one will end up with Mambo, but they also concede the fossil could wind up in the hands of an eccentric who buys it as a publicity stunt.