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Melka Kunture and Balchit: Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites in the Highland Area of Ethiopia

Near Sebeta · Ethiopia

Background

World Heritage since
2024
Type of site
Cultural
Hominin occupation
2 million years

In the Upper Awash Valley, this serial property is a cluster of prehistoric sites preserving archaeological and palaeontological records, footprints among them, of hominin groups from two million years ago. UNESCO notes that the sites, at about 2,000 to 2,200 m, yielded Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis and archaic Homo sapiens fossils with tools of volcanic rock, in a sequence running through the Oldowan, Acheulean, Middle Stone Age and Late Stone Age; buried landscapes allow the high-mountain ecosystem of the Pleistocene to be reconstructed.

Wikipedia: Melka Kunture lies 50 km south of Addis Ababa by road, across the Awash from the village of Melka Awash, with three waterfalls below the bridge; it was discovered in 1963, explored by a French mission under Jean Chavaillon from 1965 and by an Italian mission since 1999, with more than 30 occupation sites found. Wikivoyage lists six excavation sites, with a museum at Gombore Garaba. The GoGo Addis guide pairs it with Tiya for a day.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 2 million years agoHominin groups occupy the upper Awash
  2. 1963The site is discovered by Gerard Dekker
  3. 1965–1982A French mission under Jean Chavaillon explores it systematically
  4. 1999An Italian mission from Rome's La Sapienza takes over
  5. 2024Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Gombore Garaba
    The main site, with the museum.
  2. 2
    The Footprints
    Hominin footprints preserved in the volcanic layers, singled out by UNESCO.
  3. 3
    Simbiro and Balchit
    Two of the six excavation sites that make up the listing.
  4. 4
    The Awash Falls
    Three waterfalls downstream of the bridge to Butajira.
  5. 5
    Tiya
    The carved stelae 30 km on, the second half of the GoGo day.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

50 km South of Addis
Wikivoyage: along the highway towards Tiya; the GoGo guide does both as a day trip.
Two Hours on Site
The GoGo guide arrives at 09:30 and allows 120 minutes before driving on to Tiya.
Start at the Museum
Gombore Garaba has the museum that explains the layers and tools.
Highland Sun
The sites lie at 2,000 to 2,200 m; the midday sun is strong.

Melka Kunture and Tiya

From the GoGo Addis Ababa guide · Open the Addis Ababa Guide ›

  1. 09:30
    Melka Kunture Prehistoric Site2 hrs
    Stone Age tool sites by the Awash river.
  2. 13:00
    Carved Stelae of Tiya90 min
    The standing stones south of Addis.
  3. 16:00
    Traditional Coffee Ceremony1 hr
    Beans roasted and brewed in front of you, back in Addis.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Oct–Jun. Rainy season Jul–Aug.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jul (172 mm), driest Jan (10 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
Tiya is 30 km away, Bale Mountains National Park 247 km and the Gedeo Cultural Landscape 275 km.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 13 · Wikipedia: Melka Kunture · Wikivoyage: Melka Awash (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Addis Ababa guide · UNESCO listing