Lucy's Story: 3.2 Million Years in the Making

The world premiere exhibition Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures
of Ethiopia opens Friday, Aug. 31. Visitors to the Houston Museum of
Natural Science will be the first in the world outside of Ethiopia to
see Lucy, the 3.2 million year old hominid that has become the world's
most famous fossil. Even three decades after her discovery, Lucy
continues to profoundly influence our understanding of human origins.

In the exhibit

More than 150 artifacts illuminate Ethiopia's rich heritage. See
ancient stone tools found in Ethiopia; a wide selection of objects
from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, like illuminated manuscripts and
crosses; a selection of Korans from the holy city of Harar; and the
first coins minted by an indigenous African civilization. Paintings,
musical instruments, basketry, pottery, military weapons and medals
and more will also be on display.

In the last gallery, visitors are surrounded by a stunning,
78-foot mural depicting the array of human ancestors found in Ethiopia
over 6 million years. As the landscape changes over time, so do the
hominids and ancient animals roaming its plains. In the center of this
gallery, the fossilized remains of Lucy are on display. A 3-D,
scientific reconstruction of what she would have looked like in life
is on view nearby.

www.lucyexhibit.org

At www.lucyexhibit.org, launching Aug. 24, visitors can learn more
about life in Lucy's time, human origins, the culture of Ethiopia
through the ages and more. The site also features a blog from the
exhibition curator as well as educational and press materials.

Press conference

Beginning at 9 a.m. Aug. 28, the exhibition opens to media. A
press conference featuring Museum President Joel Bartsch, Museum
Curator of Anthropology Dirk Van Tuerenhout and Director, National
Museum in Addis Ababa Ms. Mamitu Yilma, will be held in the exhibit at
10 a.m. Aug. 28. The event will also be available via webcast at
www.hmns.org.

Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia is an
international exhibition organized by The Houston Museum of Natural
Science in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of
the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian
Exhibition Coordinating Committee.