A 50,000-year-old ivory fossil was unearthed in a village in Linyi, Shandong province, Qilu Evening News reported.

Villager Zhang Lecheng found the fossil when he was digging a well in his vegetable field in Dongfeng village on Dec 11.

The white ivory fossil, found 8 meters underground, is 38 centimeters long, 20 centimeters high and weighs more than 6 kilograms.

Sun Chengkai, a fossil expert from Shandong Provincial Museum, confirmed the find and its age.

The fossil will provide a valuable insight for studying climate change in Shandong, sun said.

Zhang is now displaying the ivory fossil in his courtyard and he said he would like to hand it over for archaeological and academic studies.