Archaeology Tours

Ethiopia is recognized as the oldest independent nation in Africa and one of the oldest globally, with a rich history as one of the earliest Christian civilizations and a remarkable archaeological timeline. It is renowned for being the original home of humanity, evidenced by the discovery of ancient hominid fossils, Stone Age artwork, and signs of early agriculture at various archaeological sites. This land is famously associated with the Queen of Sheba and is believed to be the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, often referred to as the cradle of mankind.

The modern world first encountered Ethiopia’s ancient heritage in 1974, when the discovery of “Lucy” made headlines worldwide, capturing the attention of anthropologists everywhere. Found in a unique area called Hadar, where the African and Arabian tectonic plates meet, a team from the Institute of Human Origins in Berkeley, California, led by Donald Johanson, unearthed the oldest known hominid remains. Utilizing advanced dating techniques, they determined that this partial skeleton was approximately 3.5 million years old, surpassing the previously oldest fossil known, which was 2.5 million years old.

The fossil, identified as female, was named “Lucy” after a Beatles song that played in their camp shortly after the discovery. In Ethiopia, she is referred to as “Dinkenesh,” meaning “You are Wonderful” in Amharic. Standing around three and a half feet tall, Lucy supported Raymond Dart’s theory that australopithecines were bipedal. Johanson and his team also inferred from Lucy’s ribs that she was a vegetarian and from her curved finger bones that she likely spent time in trees.

Ongoing palaeoentomological and archaeological research at Hadar and other sites along Ethiopia’s section of the Great Rift Valley and in the Omo Valley continues to yield significant findings. These sparsely populated regions have produced impressive Stone Age tools dating back up to 1.7 million years, as well as Homo erectus remains from about 800,000 years ago.

One notable site, Melka Kunture, is located relatively close to Addis Ababa. Since 1965, geologists and archaeologists have been excavating this area, situated about 50 kilometers south of the capital along the Addis Ababa-Butajira road. They have uncovered numerous artifacts, including beautifully crafted two-edged hand axes, obsidian scrapers, and bolas—round stones used in nets for hunting. Fossilized remains of hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, elephants, and antelopes have also been found here.

In addition to being toolmakers, early humans demonstrated artistic talent; exquisite paintings have been discovered on cave walls at locations such as Porc Epic near Dire Dawa and Dilla, estimated to be around 400,000 years old. Additionally, intriguing stone monuments known as monoliths or stelae have been found in Dilla and Tiya, a small village about 90 kilometers south of Addis Ababa. The Tiya site, with its monuments believed to date from around 1300 to 1500 AD, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.