Some 740 Ethiopian artifacts taken to France for research purposes five decades ago have been returned to Ethiopia.
The artifacts, that comprised of ancient stone tools and animal remains, are 10,000 to 2,000,000 years old.
Head of Cooperation of the French Embassy in Addis Ababa, Sophie Makamethe handed over the artifacts to Director-General of Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Abebaw Ayalew today.
Abebaw said during the occasion that the artifacts were all found in Ethiopia in the 60th by the renowned archeologist and paleontologist Jean chavaillon and his colleagues while conducting field research in the Lower Omo Rift Valley during the years 1960-70.
According to him, in 1972 a large collection of stone tools and some remains of animals and hominids were taken to France for research purposes since we didn’t have such equipped research laboratories here in terms of dating and other things.
However, after the Ethiopian revolution in 1974, the stone tools remained in France, he said.
Ethiopia and France have been celebrating the 125th anniversary of the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said.
A photo exhibition was also opened on Thursday to commemorate the renowned archaeologist and paleontologist Jean chavaillon’s contributions to archaeology and paleontology research in Ethiopia.
Source: Ethiopia News Agency