Ethiopia offers a greater richness in archaeological finds and historical buildings than any other country in Sub-Saharan Africa (including Sudan). Ethiopia is well known for its significant fossil bearing beds which have bore some of the oldest and most complete fossil hominids. One well known is LUCY. 40% of the skeleton her hominid species Australopithecus afarensis is named after the Afar Ethiopian region where it was discovered in 1974. Other discoveries are still being made.
Anthropologists have established that the skeleton belonged to a twenty-year-old female that lived 3.5 million years ago. Hadar, the site of the discovery, situated 160 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa was registered by the United Nations Education, Science, and Culture Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage.
This Skeleton, popularly known as Lucy or Dinkinesh (meaning 'you are astounding' in Amharic), completed the missing link between apes and men - paving the way for the search of human origins.
Further, the earliest known hominid, a 4.4 million-year-old Ardipithecus Ramidus was discovered in the Middle Awash in 1992. Also included in the recent discoveries is Australopithecus Garhi, a 2.5 million-year-old hominid.
Garhi means 'surprise' in the Afar language - a language spoken in the internationally acclaimed archeological site. Discovered by an international team led by Ethiopian Anthropologist Berhane Asfaw in the Middle Awash, Garhi is said to be a surprising hominid sharing the family tree. The species discovered by the team is a descendant of Australopithecus Afarensis and is a candidate ancestor for early Homo.
Bones from antelopes and horses were found 278 meters from the site of the Garhi skull fragments at the same layer of sediment. "The bones show unmistakable gashes left by stone tools: the animals were butchered, the meat cut away, and the bones hammered open to extract marrow. This is by far the earliest proof of tool-based butchery and may well provide t
he evolutionary driver that led to big-brained humans." Recently, archeologists uncovered the ruins of the legendary ancient Islamic kingdom of Shoa that included evidence of a large urban settlement as well as a large mosque.
 Ethiopian History Ethiopia’s earliest history is rooted farther north. The ancient town of Axum , which was one of the very first capitals of Semitic culture in northern Ethiopia, was founded about 1000BC and is the first stage in Ethiopia’s famous ‘historic Route’ . The earliest capital was actually at nearby Yeha. >More on Ethiopian History |  Nature of Ethiopia Ethiopia is well endowed with a wide variety of experiences in natural spheres to explore. The country boasts some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery, and features an extraordinary variety of wildlife species, as well as a spectacular variety of plants. >More on Nature of Ethiopia | Ethiopian Culture Ethiopia is anchored in an ancient, cultured society. The rich culture of its affluent society is prominent. Its societies comprise a mosaic of over 80 ethnic groups each with its own languages, cultural heritage, crafts and costumes make the country a museum to be frequented. >More on Ethiopian Culture |
