Using an 800,000-year-old tooth, researchers unlock the secrets of Israel’s ancient elephant haven
Archaeologists uncover clues to the lives of giant elephants and early humans who shared Israel’s Hula Valley nearly 800,000 years ago.
The Gesher Benot Ya'aqov site in northern Israel, dating back nearly 800,000 years, was once a lush sanctuary teeming with giant straight-tusked elephants, hippos, rhinoceroses, and early humans. The region, nestled along the Levantine corridor linking Africa and Eurasia, served as a vital bridge for the migration of various species.
Researchers from Tel-Hai University of Kiryat Shmona, in collaboration with the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University, have uncovered a well-preserved elephant tooth and tusk fragments at the prehistoric site. These findings, alongside Acheulian stone tools, provide evidence of the coexistence of giant elephants and early toolmakers in the Hula Valley.
Analysis of the tooth, using high-resolution CT scanning, 3D reconstruction, microscopic wear analysis, isotope geochemistry, and pollen studies, revealed a landscape rich in woodlands, grasslands, marshes, rivers, and shallow-water habitats. Researchers found that both wildlife and early human groups moved through the corridor, supported by the environment's abundant resources.
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