Afar: where it all began | Ethiopia

Postcard
The Awash valley in Ethiopia contains one of the most important groupings of paleontological sites on the African continent. The remains found at the site, the oldest of which date back at least 4 million years, provide evidence of human evolution which has modified our conception of the history of humankind.

The most spectacular discovery came in 1974, when 52 fragments of a skeleton were found. The skeleton became known as Lucy.

Lower Valley of the Awash is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Lower Awash Valley paleo-anthropological site is located 300 km northeast of Addis Ababa, in the west of the Afar Depression. It covers an area of around 150 km2.