| Ethiopia has a heritage from the beginnings of mankind was underlined when the remains of "Lucy", dated from 3.5 million years ago, and the 4.4 million year old Homo ramidusafarensis, man’s oldest anthropoid ancestor, were uncovered. Traders from Greece , Rome , Persia and Egypt know of the riches of what is now Ethiopia , and by the first century AD Axum was the capital of an great empire. This realm became one of the first Christian lands of Africa . Late in the 10th century Axum declined and a new Zagwe dynasty, centered in what is now Lalibela, ruled the land. Axum , Lalibella, and Gondar now provide our greatest historical legacy. It was in the 16th century that the son of the great explorer Vasco da Gama came to Ethiopia , but then found a land of many kingdoms and provinces beset by feuds and wars. |
