A biological material comprising a continuous layer of cartilaginous tissue reconstituted in vitro which contains components associated with cartilage mineralization. The biological material may be cultured with a mineralizing agent to form a mineralized biological material. The mineralized biological material is characterized by having a biochemical composition and physiological organization substantially similar to the deep and contiguous calcified cartilage zones of articular cartilage found in animals in vivo. Methods for preparing the biological materials and methods of using the biological materials are described.