In August 2025, the National Museum in Prague will display a 3.2 million-year-old fossil of the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis, commonly known as Lucy, which is one of the most precious and oldest paleoanthropological exhibits in the world, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told journalists today.
“This is an absolutely unique event, as the original fossil will be on public display for the first time in Europe,” he said.
The pieces of fossilized bones were discovered in Ethiopia 50 years ago, and will be on loan from the Ethiopian National Museum, together with Selam, a fossilized skull and other remains of the skeleton of a three-year-old Australopithecus afarensis, nicknamed Lucy’s baby. Selam is 3.3 million years old.
Visitors to the Prague museum will be able to see both specimens for 60 days, starting from 25 August. The loan of the two exhibits will take place with the support of the Czech Ministry of Culture and the Ethiopian Ministry of Tourism.
Ethiopian Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa said the exhibition is an opportunity for Ethiopia to strengthen its presence in the European tourism market.
By showcasing the rich history, cultural treasures and breathtaking landscapes of our country, we invite travellers from all over Europe to visit Ethiopia and experience the wonders of the land where mankind was born, she said.
“I think it will be a dream come true for many people to see the real Lucy. It’s a unique thing,” Czech Culture Minister Martin Baxa told CTK.
PM Fiala saw Lucy in a museum in Addis Ababa in November 2023.
In November 1974, American paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson found the partial skeleton at Hadar, in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia’s Afar region. The fossil was nicknamed Lucy after the song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ by the Beatles, which the expedition team liked to play at the site.
After the discovery was made public, Lucy became an almost worldwide celebrity, touring America for six years in a glass case.
“Welcoming Lucy and Selam into their spaces is the dream of every museum in the world,” said Michal Lukes, director general of the Prague National Museum. “Some of our planet’s most precious exhibits give us a unique glimpse into the past and allow us to better understand the roots of humanity.”
