NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

This museum, close to the University of Addis Ababa Graduate School, houses numerous antiquarian relics and archaeological artifacts showing the history of Ethiopia from prehistoric times to the modern day. This museum’s greatest treasure is the partial skeleton of "Lucy,“ (at the basement of the museum ) a tiny human believed to have lived over three million years ago.

The first floor houses artifacts, sculptures, dresses, tablets, etc from all corners of Ethiopia; some of them dating to the early days of human civilization. The war and ceremonial dresses, thrones, and accessories of historical figures also adorn the first floor. 

The second floor houses a huge collection of modern and traditional Ethiopian paintings plus sculpture. The themes of the paintings vary from the ordinary life scenes in markets, at a bus-stop to religious such as the crucifixion, the denial of Peter and Demera (a lighting of fire on one of Ethiopian Holidays -The finding of the true Cross)

It is easy to by-pass Maitre de Artist World Laureate Afework Tekle's works. But a look at his painting entitled "Qebele Meeting" has its big surprise. For anyone who has passed through the Derg era of the late 70's and 80's, no other artistic work so far captures the fear, confusion, bewilderment, patience, boredom, anger of that era, particularly in the never ending Kebele, industry and office political meetings. The old man, the cadre and the soldier in that painting depict all these emotions and bring back that era very vividly to whoever is looking at them. Perhaps, for many reasons, this work may not have been among the favorites of Artist Afewerk. But for its viewers, the strength it carries in documenting that era (for good or bad) is impossible to forget.