Archaeologists work at the discovery site near Kibbutz Revadim in southern Israel on August 31, 2022. A 500,000-year-old elephant tusk has been discovered in Israel’s southern coastal plain, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Wednesday.

This photo taken on Aug. 31, 2022 shows part of the tusk unearthed at the discovery site near Kibbutz Revadim in southern Israel. A 500,000-year-old elephant tusk was discovered in Israel’s southern coastal plain, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Wednesday. (Photo: Xinhua)

An archaeologist works at the discovery site near Kibbutz Revadim, southern Israel, August 31, 2022. A 500,000-year-old elephant tusk has been discovered in Israel’s southern coastal plain, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Wednesday.

A 500,000-year-old elephant tusk has been discovered in Israel’s southern coastal plain, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Wednesday.

This gigantic species apparently appeared in the region about 800,000 years ago and became extinct 400,000 years ago, he added.

Previous archaeological findings showed that the excavation site dates back to the late Lower Paleolithic period, as flint tools and bone remains of wild cattle, hippopotamuses, deer, wild boars and wild horses were discovered at the site.

“This is the largest complete fossil tusk ever found at a prehistoric site in the Near East,” said IAA prehistorian Avi Levy, director of the excavation.

Archaeologists are studying whether the tusk that was torn from the skull and the rest of the body is a remnant of a hunted elephant or was collected by local prehistoric inhabitants, and whether it had social or spiritual significance.