Archaeologists in the northwestern province of Gansu said that a 4,500-year-old elephant-shaped pot discovered in the province is the first of its kind ever found in China.

The pot was found by farmers of Guanghe County recently and is now stored in the Museum of Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu.

The red pottery pot, 9.5 centimeters high and 8.5 centimeters in diameter, has a long mouth which looks very much like the nose of an elephant. On top of the "nose" are two bulgy eyes, and under the round "belly" are pillar feet.

Wang Haidong, vice-chairman of the Gansu Provincial Painted Pottery Research Institute, said that previous archaeological discoveries have shown that patterns and shapes of pottery ware have much to do with the living environment of human beings.

Discovery of the elephant-shaped pot indicates that elephants may have lived in Gansu area more than 4,000 years ago, Wang said.

He called the pot "material evidence" not only for the study of ancient Chinese pottery culture, but also for the ancient ecological environment in Gansu area.

Wang spoke highly of the archaeological value of the pot. Apart from the unique elephant shape, the pot has a wide, flat handle, on top of which is the image of a human face with clear-cut eyes, nose and mouth.

Such an image has rarely been seen in past archaeological discoveries, Wang said.