Melka Kunture

Lore & Background

Melka Kunture was discovered by Gerard Dekker in 1963 and surveyed by Gérard Bailloud in 1964. Systematic exploration began with a French mission led by Jean Chavaillon from 1965 to 1982 and again from 1993 to 1995. Since 1999, an Italian mission directed by Marcello Piperno has worked at the site in agreement with Ethiopian authorities. The site lies in a basin of about 3,000 km² delimited by Pliocene volcanoes, with the Awash River providing sedimentary contexts that preserved archaeological sites.

Reader's Guide

Melka Kunture is significant for its long, well-dated sequence of hominin occupation spanning from the Oldowan (about 1.7 million years ago) through the Acheulean to the Middle Stone Age (about 0.2 million years ago). The site provides crucial evidence for the evolution of stone tool technologies and hominin behavior in East Africa. Its volcanic deposits allow precise dating, and the preservation of multiple occupation levels offers insights into environmental changes and hominin adaptation.

The site also documents the exploitation of obsidian from nearby Balchit outcrops, used from the earliest Oldowan phases into historical times. The discovery of hominin remains, including Homo erectus and archaic Homo sapiens, adds to its importance for understanding human evolution. The construction of a museum and an Open Air Museum displaying Acheulean excavations enhances public access to this heritage.

Did You Know?

• Hominid remains found include a Homo erectus child's hemimandible at Garba IV and three archaic Homo sapiens skull fragments at Garba III.
• Obsidian from the Balchit outcrops, less than 7 km away, was used at Melka Kunture from the earliest Oldowan phases into historical times.