Ethiopia the origin of Human Kind/ Cradle of Mankind

The history of Ethiopia begins with Lucy. Lucy was a female hominoid who lived in what is now called the Awash Valley in Hadar. The skeleton was discovered in 1974.

The remains of "Lucy" dated from 3.5 million years ago and the recent discovery- RAMIDAS 4.4 millions years old hominid fossil, makes Ethiopia the Cradle of Mankind. Both are discovered in Hadar, along the Awash River, east of the country. They completed the missing link between Apes and men.

Ethiopians refer to her as “Dinqnesh” which means Wonderful. She is also classified in Hadar as AL 288-1.When she was discovered only a little over half of her skeletons were found. She probably did not live more than 20 years and weighed around 60 pounds and stood three and a half feet. Lucy is kept fully preserved at the national Museum in Addis Ababa; an exact plaster replica is also displayed.

But why was she called Lucy? Donald Johansson, the anthropologist from Chicago University who discovered her, tells us why: "Surely such a noble little fossil lady deserved a name.

As we [his expedition crew] sat around one evening listening to Beatles' songs, someone said, ‘Why don't we call her Lucy? You know, after “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. “’ So she became Lucy.

Melka Konturie is also an important archeological site where 1.5 million years old stone tools were found. Several cave paintings and stone monuments are found in different parts of the country like Dilla, South of Ethiopia and Dire Dawa east of Ethiopia.