One of the world’s most famous hominid fossils, known as ‘Lucy, was discovered in the Lower Awash Valley in the searing heat of the eastern Afar region. The area contains some of the most important paleontological remains on the African continent, and these discoveries – some of which are at least 4 million years old – have enabled scientists to gain invaluable insights into human evolution. The 3.5 million-year-old “Lucy” was reconstructed after 52 fragments of a skeleton were found in 1974 – about 40 percent intact. The study of this early hominid skeleton has provided clues as to when and how humans began to walk upright.