From Awash to IPH: curating the mega-collection that defined Ethiopia’s prehistory
From Awash to IPH: curating the mega-collection that defined Ethiopia’s prehistory
Behailu Habte
Senior prehistoric researcher at Ethiopian Heritage Authority, King George VI St. Amist Kilo, PO Box 19495, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Postdoc Research Fellow, Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa email behailuhabte@gmail.com or ENDBEH001@myuct.ac.za,
Fellow Researcher, at French Centre for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE), Addis Abeba
As part of a scholarship obtained through the “Parcours des collections” program (French cultural cooperation grant from the French Ministry of Culture), my study focused on the iconic prehistoric archaeological collections assembled by Professor Jean Chavaillon (1960s-1980s) and currently preserved at Institut de Paléontologie Humaine (IPH) in Paris. This is a unique exploration of the earliest lithic traditions of the Ethiopian Rift Valley, presented not as conventional study, but rather as synthesis viewed through the eye of curator, a perspective rarely shared in scientific discourse. This viewpoint was acquired during intensive curatorial and inventory work that I carried out between May and August 2024. Thanks to this grant, I had an opportunity to engage in practical examination and cataloging of precious archaeological materials that shaped the prehistory of Ethiopia.
Professor Jean Chavaillon was among the architects of modern prehistoric research in Ethiopia. Between the 1960s and 1980s, he conducted extensive archaeological and geological fieldworks in Ethiopia, unearthing iconic finds at key sites like Melka Kunture (upper Awash Valley) and Omo Shungura (lower Omo Valley). His groundbreaking discoveries not only laid the foundational science but also dramatically elevated public and governmental recognition of prehistoric research within the country.
Fig.1. The author curating Chavaillon’s collection at IPH, Paris, July 2024
It took twenty years of ambition and dedication to Chavaillon to uncover the heart of Ethiopia’s prehistoric legacies, revealing a sheer density of discoveries, which however outpaced his capacity to study them overtime. True, his relentless work birthed monumental collections, laying the foundation for all future prehistoric research in the Ethiopia. Eager to carefully analyze the stone artifacts and draw them accurately, Chavaillon initiated a daring international exchange. Under a special governmental loan, he shipped huge amount of prehistoric artifacts from Ethiopia to France. Today, these collections live double lives: some artifacts have been welcomed back home, but a vast majority still waits in public and private storages abroad, the same way as they are preserved in IPH.
The archaeological collections at the IPH donated by Jean Chavaillon span continents, from Angola to Turkey. However, nothing compares to the Ethiopian collections, especially those from Melka-Kunture represent unparalleled range in time depth and volume. My original goal was to catalog everything (Djibouti, Algeria, Ethiopia etc.), but faced with the sheer density of these artifacts, I had to choose: the clock is ticking, and ambition must yield to realism! I dedicated my focus to the Ethiopian collections. Why Ethiopia? It is where I am from, and I am intimately familiar with the foundational research of Chavaillon in that region.
The prehistoric archaeological collections donated to IPH arrived in stacked cardboard boxes, a cache we suspect was personally sealed by Chavaillon’s own hands. Unpacking these boxes is suspenseful, where each box promises a trilling surprise. Adding to this suspense is Chavaillon’s painstaking discipline where he wrapped up individual specimens in long scrolls of tissue papers, and peeling back these protective covers are yet pure moment of anticipation. Astonishingly, every single piece was individually labeled making my inventory and cataloging works easier. The irony, however, is striking. I witnessed the highest level of curatorial discipline— a dedication to carefully document each artifact—only to find some of the most fragile materials packed in cigarette box. This surely reflects a lack of resources to properly pack all the furniture.
To begin with, initiating the inventory of Chavaillon collection at IPH required a strategy for data integrity. Instead of developing a new database, we achieved operational efficiency by leveraging an established spreadsheet template implemented by my colleagues who somewhat catalogued Chavaillon’s collections before me. This basic registry guarantees the ongoing adherence to the data protocol already in place, emphasizing critical elements such as the origin of archaeological sites, the classification of raw materials, and diagnostic technological features among other things. Specifically, I have integrated quantitative precision by including metric data, carefully documenting the length, width, and thickness of each artifact. This dataset now enables comparative study to be carried out with the parent collection held by the Ethiopian Heritage Authority (EHA).
Fig.2 Examples of the previous state of Chavaillon collections (left) compare to the status after curation and documentation works (right)
As the fact that the Melka Kunture collection in IPH is comparatively huge, it is important to clarify that the site itself is not a single one, but a vast complex encompassing at least 11 major archaeological sites including Gombore, Garba, Simbiro, Kella and Wofi sites. These sites are further divided into numerous localities, often designated with Roman number (e.g., Gombore I, II, Garba, IV, Simbiro II). For archeologist, these numerical suffixes are crucial; they denote specific chronostratigraphic phases mapping out cultural sequence stretching over 1.9 million years up to the historic period. These artifacts, mostly of basalt, ignimbrite and obsidian raw materials, include stone artifacts such as Oldowan tools (Gombore I and Garba IV sites); Acheulian artifacts (Gombore II, Simbiro III, Garba I sites), and Final Acheulian/Middle Stone Age transitional tools (Garba III site). Surprisingly, Chavaillion’s collection in IPH span far beyond Melka Kunture, a finding that was unexpected, including some artifacts from Ilala Dima and Modjo sites of central Ethiopian rift and even sites from Omo valley of southern Ethiopia rift.
At the end of my three-month tenure at IPH, I effectively curated and cataloged more than 2900 individual artifacts (excluding chips). Each object was carefully labeled, measured, and described. To guarantee appropriate storage and preservation, the artifacts are placed in clean plastic bags and organized in cardboard boxes. Eventually, these artifacts are safely stored in 34 newly assigned boxes. The location of each artifact can be easily tracked using a box number system, with related information documented in a detailed spreadsheet.
Fig.3 Later Stone Age artifacts from Omo, gathered by J. Chavaillon
However, the future of Chavaillon’s collection within IPH remains unresolved: it has yet to be determined whether these collections will be integrated into the main collection at EHA, where they could contribute to scientific research, or whether they will remain separate. The resolution of this issue will depend on further discussions and cooperation between France and Ethiopia.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to French Ministry of Culture for funding these three-month work seasons in Paris. My thanks also goes to French Centre for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE) for their invaluable support and coordination of this mission since its inception. Special appreciation also goes to colleagues and personalities whose support was instrumental in this work: Dr. Anna Echassoux (Director General, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine), Dr. Jean-Nicolas Bach (former Director, CFEE), Dr. Anne-Lise Goujon (former secretary, CFEE), Mr. Alexis Maclet (former attaché for cooperation, Embassy of France, Addis Abeba) and Dr. Clément Ménard (Director, EPCC Centre européen de recherches préhistoriques de Tautavel).
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Secrétaire Scientifique (3 novembre 2025). From Awash to IPH: curating the mega-collection that defined Ethiopia’s prehistory. UN ŒIL SUR LA CORNE / AN EYE ON THE HORN. Consulté le 22 janvier 2026 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/1538t







