Addis Ababa: Meeting Lucy, our great-great-great-thousand-times grandma

Addis Ababa: Meeting Lucy, our great-great-great-thousand-times grandma

Thursday 27 March 2008

Together with Asaf, I visited two major museums: The Ethnological Museum at the Addis Ababa University and the National Museum. The first museum was very good and had excellent exhibits and display panels on Ethiopia's many diverse cultures. One can easily spend many hours there. The museum is located in what used to be Halie Selassie's palace and the whole complex, built in European neo-classical style, was quite grand.

The National Museum is where Lucy, one of the oldest fossilized remains of hominid, i.e., early humans, is usually kept. In other words, Lucy is one of our – yes, you and me - possible great-great-great-thousand-times grandmothers! The real Lucy is on a tour of Europe and replica is displayed at the National Museum.

We also visited St George's Cathedral and Museum, as well as various sites with huge billboards celebrating the Ethiopian Millennium.