Ministry set to back prehistory research activities

Addis Ababa, Feb. 02(ENA)--Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Ambassador Teshome Toga says the government would encourage and support paleoanthropological and archeological research activities in Ethiopia.

Ambassador Teshome said his Ministry has attached due attention to prehistory research works, which would contribute to promoting Ethiopia's image and attracting more visitors as well as building capacity of local research institutes.

The Minister was speaking at the opening here on Saturday of an international scientific conference organized in connection with the 25th anniversary of the discovery of the Bodo skull.

There are over 30 paleoanthropology research teams working in various parts of the country, he said, adding the Ministry was encouraged by the increasing number of Ethiopian scientists carrying out valuable research activities in the field.

Ambassador Teshome also called for collaboration between research institutions here and abroad with a view to building up local capacity as well as achieving sound progress in the field.

Manager of the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritages (ARCCH), Jara Haile-Mariam said on his part that the 600,000 year-old Bodo skull was found in the Afar region.

The discovery of the Bodo cranium by Alemayehu Asfaw and Paul Whitehead in 1976 was an important milestone in the study of human evolution, he said.

Austrian ambassador to Ethiopia, Brigitte Oppinger Walchshofer said on the occasion that the embassy would press ahead with its efforts to strengthen partnership between Austrian universities and Ethiopian research institutions.

Local and international scientists would present various scientific papers during the course of the two-day conference organized by the ARCCH in collaboration with Mekelle University and the University of Vienna, Austria.

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