Paleontologists in Shaanxi Province have removed a fossilized mammoth tusk discovered at a construction site, a rare find in the region, local authorities said.
The tusk, measuring one meter, is the most significant find discovered in the Hanjiang River Basin since the 1980s, experts said.
Local resident Yi Faping alerted county authorities after finding the fossil while digging a footing at his building site in Jiaotong village in October.
Provincial archaeological authorities estimate the tusk to be more than 10,000 years old.
The fossil was recovered in 13 segments on site and will be transported to Northwest University Museum in Xi'an for further tests, a Hanyin county cultural bureau official told China Business News.
The find presents a rare opportunity for experts to understand the environmental conditions and changes of the Hanjiang River Basin during the Neolithic Era.
The site is part of the human settlements known as the Yuanjiaba Neolithic Region, which was active between 14,000 and 8,000 years ago.
