BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: The 3.2 million-year-old human fossil nicknamed Lucy is at Katara as the highlight of an exhibition, Ethiopian Cultural Day, a first-of-its-kind event organised by the Ethiopian embassy in Doha.
“We have brought here the oldest human fossil on Earth, so this is a significant exhibition for us. This is only the second time we are exhibiting Lucy internationally; the first time was at Natural Science Museum in the US,” Ethiopian Ambassador Mesganu Arga Moach told this daily.
Moach and Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager, Katara, opened the exhibition visited by representatives of diplomatic missions and the Ethiopian community. Exhibited at Katara Building No. 13, the skeleton which is said to be the most complete skeleton of a human ancestor yet discovered in the world was found in Afar Depression in Ethiopia 40 years ago.
With the scientific name Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy was named after the popular Beatles song Lucy in the sky with diamonds but Ethiopians prefer to call it “Dinknesh” (wonderful).
“As you know, Ethiopia is the cradle of humankind. One of the most significant treasures of Ethiopia’s archaeological findings is here; we want to show Doha as the most important place where cultures are coming together,” said Moach.
Photos of other fossils of early human ancestors found in archaeological sites in Ethiopia are also on display, along with Ethiopian world heritage sites inscribed by Unesco. The Sof Umer natural cave, the 13th century Rock Hewn Churches in Lalibela, the Axum Obelisk at the ruins of the ancient city of Axum and the Lower Valley of Omo are some of the Unesco World Heritage sites included in the expo.
Traditional and modern works by Ethiopian artists are showcased at the expo which runs until March 5. They include a painting by the first renowned Ethiopian female artist Desta Hagos, a self-portrait of Ethiopian artist Agegnehu Engida and a couple of paintings by Birhane Mehari, one of which depicts the harmony and tolerance of the culture of religions in Ethiopia since ancient times. A show by a dance troupe in traditional Ethiopian costume was staged at Katara Building No. 16. “This is a significant moment for this is the first-of-a-kind event we have staged in Doha. “Doha is a melting pot of cultures so we are introducing our culture and historical and archeological finds.” .The Peninsula
