ADDIS ABABA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government on Tuesday announced the discovery of ancient Homo sapiens fossils and stone tools dating back about 100,000 years, which it said provides "important new insights" into human evolution and early human lifestyles.
The Ethiopian Heritage Authority (EHA) said the latest archaeological findings include fossils and stone tools of ancient Homo sapiens that lived around 100,000 years ago, uncovered at a site in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia's Afar Depression, about 300 km northeast of Addis Ababa, the country's capital.
Addressing a media briefing on Tuesday, EHA Director General Abebaw Ayalew said the latest archaeological discoveries are of "great importance" in improving understanding of early humans.
The research project also uncovered the remains of apes, monkeys, horned animals, rats and birds, indicating that the area was once lush and forested rather than the desert landscape it is today, he said.
Ayalew said the discovery helps fill "a long-standing gap" in the evolutionary journey of humans and their early lifestyles, as well as in understanding the level of technological development achieved during that period.
The discovery was made through extensive archaeological research conducted over several years, bringing together scientists from 24 countries, according to the EHA. ■