Melka Kunture, located in the southwestern part of Oromia State, in the upper Awash Valley, 50 km south of Addis Ababa, is a rich and complex cluster of archaeological sites.
This prehistoric site is surrounded by mountains like Wachacha and Furi Mountains in the North, Boti and Agoiabi in the South, and the main Ethiopian Rift Valley system to the East.
According to documents, the serial property is a cluster of prehistoric sites that preserve archaeological and paleontological records, including footprints that testify to the area’s occupation by the hominine groups from two million years ago and the fossil footprints at Melka Kunture occur more frequently than expected, which encouraged archaeologists to be more aware of the possible presence of bioturbated layers in other archaeological contexts and to plan specific research accordingly.
Some months back, a team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Spain, working with two colleagues from France and another from Germany and excavating at Melka Kunture, had also announced the discovery of a 1.2 million-year-old ‘stone tools workshop’, in this same area, which brought additional development in archeological studies from Ethiopia.
The archaeologists uncovered almost 600 obsidian stone tools and identified the oldest known “workshop,” the study says.
Such workshops developed as tool-making evolved into a skill. Individuals who developed such skills worked together in workshops to crank out enough of whatever tools were needed by those in the general area. One such tool was the handaxe, which could be used for chopping or as a weapon, the researchers indicated.
Handaxes were made by chipping bits off of a stone to make a sharp edge. They were not attached to anything; they were simply held in the hand when in use. The stones used were typically flint or, in later times, obsidian—a type of volcanic glass. Obsidian, even in modern times, is considered a difficult material to work with because it is so rough on the hands. In this new effort, the researchers have found evidence of an obsidian handaxe knapping workshop established far earlier than one has ever been seen before.
According to the archaeologists, excavating at Melka Kunture, almost 600 obsidian stone tools were identified and there are also a large deposit of obsidian stones at the Melka Kunture archaeological site, according to a study published Jan. 19 in the journal Nature.
The archaeologists concluded that they uncovered a “stone-tool workshop” — the oldest ever known, according to the study.
The Tourism Ethiopia Investment Profile document also highlights sites potential in archeological remains. it stated that the archaeological deposits of Melka Kunture are a unique archive of human evolution, spanning over more than 1.7 million years, from Oldowan layers to a very long and complex sequence of Acheulean layers, to Middle Stone Age and eventually by Late Stone Age layers.
Own to this, Melka Kunture and the surrounding areas have been the focus of long-term archaeological, paleontological, and geological research.
This Paleolithic site, aside from its importance as a rich and complex cluster of archaeological sites, has substantial benefits in promoting the tourism sector and generating considerable income for local communities.
As Solomon Kebede stated in his paper titled “Significance of Melka Kunture Prehistoric Site for Sustainable Tourism Development of Ethiopia,” the site would bring a significant positive impact on the development of sustainable tourism.
The proximity of the archeological site to the capital city, as well as the presence of closely located archeological and paleontological localities, the Open Air Museum, the natural resource sites in the wide area, as well as the flourishing living cultural qualities of the Oromo people and the natural habitat can yield ample economic benefits to local people and the country.
As an archeological site, that largely attracts researchers, educational visitors, leisure tourists, and other excursionists, the site has untapped tourist attractions.
Recently, in the 46th annual conference of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee taking place in New Delhi, India from July 21-31, 2024, the Melka Kunture and Balchit Archaeological and Paleontological Site has been inscribed on the prestigious World Heritage List of UNESCO.
Following the nomination of the area to be included in the Heritage list, As ENA reported referring to the Ethiopian Embassy in India, Melka Kunture and Balchit Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites located in the Upper Awash Valley in Ethiopia, the serial property is a cluster of prehistoric sites that preserve archaeological and paleontological records – including footprints – that testify to the area’s occupation by the hominin groups from two million years ago.
The sites, situated about 2,000 to 2,200 meters above sea level, yielded Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, and archaic Homo sapiens fossils, documented in well-dated strata in association with various tools made from volcanic rocks.
The cultural sequence includes four consecutive phases of the Oldowan, Acheulean, Middle Stone Age, and Late Stone Age techno-complexes.
Fragments of palaeo-landscapes, preserved buried under volcanic and sedimentary deposits with fossil fauna and flora, allow reconstruction of the high-mountain ecosystem of the Ethiopian Highlands during the Pleistocene.
Thus, it can be drawn on the adaptation of hominin groups to the challenges and climatic conditions of high altitudes, according to the Ethiopian Embassy in India.
The Embassy added it is delighted to share the news that Melaka Kunture and Balchit Archeology and Paleontological site has been registered as world heritage during the 46th annual conference of UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India.
Among the three requirements for Melaka Kunture and Balchit Archeology and Paleontological Site to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site is that it contains stone tools that were used by humans from 2.5 million years to the end of the Stone Age.
Furthermore, because the site contains many human and animal fossils dating back to 2.5 million years old it to be declared as a world heritage.
In her message to the conference, Minister of Tourism, Amb. Nasise Chali, said that the fact that this heritage was registered during the 50th anniversary of Lucy’s discovery, is of great significance to the country. It has also given further proof to the world that Ethiopia is truly land of origin.
COMPILED BY STAFF REPORTER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 2 AUGUST 2024
