Lower Valley of the Awash

阿瓦什低谷

🇮🇹 Ethiopia📅 1980 Inscribed

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The Awash valley contains one of the most important groupings of palaeontological 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 enabled the famous Lucy to be reconstructed.

Insight I

The place where the famous Australopithecus afarensis 'Lucy' was discovered (1974).

Insight II

After being inscribed as a World Heritage Site, the 'Middle Awash Project' has continued to make discoveries, including Ardipithecus, Ardipithecus ramidus, and Australopithecus anamensis, all of which predate Australopithecus afarensis in the hominid fossil record.