Background
The Awash valley contains one of the most important groupings of palaeontological sites on the African continent. UNESCO says the remains found there, the oldest at least 4 million years old, provide evidence of human evolution that has modified our conception of the history of humankind; the most spectacular discovery came in 1974, when 52 fragments of a skeleton allowed the famous Lucy to be reconstructed.
Wikipedia describes Hadar, the fossil site in the Afar Region on the left bank of the Awash, 15 km upstream of the A1 road bridge, between the Kada Hadar and Kada Gona streams; its hominin fossils range from about 3.42 to 2.9 million years old and were laid down by an ancient river system and lake. Lucy herself is displayed at the National Museum in Addis Ababa, where the GoGo guide starts its first morning. Awash National Park, further down the river, is a separate reserve 200 km from Addis.
- 4 million years agoThe oldest remains in the valley
- 3.42–2.9 million years agoThe age range of Hadar's hominin fossils
- 1972Maurice Taieb's reconnaissance of the Afar settles on Hadar
- 197452 fragments of Lucy's skeleton are recovered
- 1980Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1HadarThe fossil beds on the Awash where Lucy was found.
- 2Lucy at the National MuseumThe 3.2-million-year-old skeleton, in Addis Ababa; the GoGo guide gives it 90 minutes.
- 3The Afar TriangleThe southern edge of the rift depression, where the sites lie.
- 4Awash National ParkWikivoyage: oryx and one of Africa's best places to watch hyenas, between Metehara and Awash town.
- 5Melka KuntureThe other Awash prehistory site, south of Addis, with a museum.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
Lucy and the Awash
Not yet in a GoGo guide
- 09:30Lucy at the National Museum90 minThe skeleton from Hadar, in Addis Ababa.
- 14:00Ethnological Museum90 minHaile Selassie's palace on the university campus.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Dec–Jan. Very hot (highs 34°C+) in Feb–Oct.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
