Paleoanthropologists Describe Ethiopia Truly ‘Land of Origin’

Addis Ababa August 5/2024 (ENA) The name “Land of Origins’ appropriately describes Ethiopia said Paleoanthropologists who visited the country.

The 50th anniversary of the discovery of Lucy's fossil is being commemorated with various events in Addis Ababa. 

Over 240 researchers from 34 countries have visited Ethiopia as part of the event. 

During their stay, the participants visited Adwa Memorial Museum and Unity Park and saw ancient artifacts and fossils in the country. 

The visitors who spoke to ENA highlighted that Ethiopia's name, "Land of Origin," aptly describes the country due to its significance in human origins and its ancient history. 

Professor Margaret Lewis, a researcher at the Department of Biology at Stockton University in the United States, mentioned about the researches that have conducted in Ethiopia, particularly in the Afar area since 1997. 

She said Ethiopia is definitely the land of origins of so many things citing the contribution of Lucy’s discovery as it really changed our understanding of human evolution and origins of people. 

According to her, Lucy’s discovery tells the fact how this world looks like today in terms of understanding climate change and the changing environment. 

A Tanzanian anthropologist, Professor Jackson Njau, for his part affirmed that Ethiopia is aptly referred to as the "land of origin" based on the geological study of time cycles and age sequences. 

He emphasized that their research focuses on the animals that inhabited the region during Lucy's time, highlighting Ethiopia's ancient status through various measures. 

Pre-human fossils found in Ethiopia not only illuminate Ethiopia's history but also provide crucial insights into the evolution of the entire human race.

Ignacio Lasagabaster, a senior researcher at the University of Liverpool in England specializing in the origin of the human race, highlighted that Ethiopia is not only known for fossils dating back up to 4.5 million years but also for its rich narrative as the oldest country in Africa. 

 

He noted that the discovery of Lucy's remains in Ethiopia has inspired numerous researchers, including himself, to delve into this field of study. 

Lasagabaster further appreciated the organization of institutions that preserve the history of early human origins in Ethiopia, such as the National Museum. 

He emphasized that Ethiopia's antiquity extends beyond fossils to encompass various archaeological fields.

Appreciated the way the institutions that contain the history of the early human race and Ethiopia, including the National Museum, are organized; He said that Ethiopia is an ancient country not only in fossils but also in other archaeological fields

On the other hand, Dr. Mariam Bundula, a fellow from the University of Tanzania's Department of Archaeology, along with third-year student Rebecca Muriuki from Kenya, praised Ethiopia's approach to heritage preservation. 

 

They emphasized that preserving and passing down heritage not only instills pride in current generations but also facilitates learning from the past.

The 3.2 million-year-old human remains, famously known as Lucy or Dinknesh, were discovered on November 24, 1974, in the Afar region at a site called "Hadar."