In pics - Rare elephant tusk dating back around 500,000 years found in Israel
Excavation site near Revadim
The artifact was discovered by biologist Eitan Mor at an excavation site near Revadim, a village in southern Israel.
Size of the artifact
The tusk found belongs to an elephant which went extinct around 400,000 years ago and it was 2.6-metre (8.5-foot) in length.
Official statement
"The elephant is a straight-tusked elephant, which became extinct from our area around 400,000 years ago. Next to the tusk were flint tools prehistoric man used to chop and skin the animals in the region, apparently the elephants too," Avi Levy, director of the excavation, told AFP.
Massive elephants
The researchers studied the tusk and concluded that the elephant was around 16.6 feet tall – considerably taller than the elephants who are alive now.
Further tests
The findings were transported to Tel Aviv where local specialists and academics from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will be carrying out further tests.
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