99,000-yr-old ivory shovel believed to be oldest in China

Photo shows the Bashan heritage site, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo: China News Service/Yi Jiliang)

An ivory shovel dating back around 99,000 years has been unearthed at the paleolithic site, which is likely to be one of the earliest bone grinding tools found in China. It is rare worldwide to have found ivory relics used for making practical tools around 100,000 years ago.