Prague to host first-ever European display of Lucy, the 3.18-million-year-old human ancestor
For the first time ever, one of the world’s most famous fossils is coming to Europe. The fossilized remains of Lucy, a 3.18-million-year-old human ancestor, will go on display at Prague’s National Museum in August, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see these priceless relics up close.
Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis, was named after Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles, a song played repeatedly at the archaeologists’ campsite when her remains were discovered in 1974. She is also known by her Amharic name, Dink’inesh, meaning “you are marvellous.”
Officially called AL 288-1, Lucy’s remains were uncovered in Hadar, Ethiopia, by paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson. The discovery consists of several hundred fossilized bone fragments—including parts of her skull, pelvis, femur, and teeth—representing about 40 percent of her full skeletal structure.
Petr Velemínský, head of the National Museum’s Department of Anthropology, explains how Lucy transformed our understanding of human evolution:
“Based on the skeletal remains, it was possible to determine that she was already walking on two legs. While her upper body was adapted for tree climbing, similar to chimpanzees, her lower body displayed features typical of the Homo genus. This finding was fundamental to the study of human evolution.”
Lucy is believed to have died between the age of 11 and 13, which was considered adulthood for her species. Since her discovery, she has only been taken out of Ethiopia once—between 2007 and 2013—for a tour of U.S. museums. Now, for the first time, she will be exhibited in Europe.
The decision to bring Lucy to Prague was announced on Tuesday by government officials from Ethiopia and Czechia, including Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who first saw the fossil in Ethiopia and initiated discussions about the loan.
Lucy’s remains will be displayed alongside Selam, the fossilized skeleton of a baby Australopithecus who lived about 100,000 years before her and was discovered in the same region 25 years later.
At the press conference, National Museum Director Michal Lukeš expressed his excitement:
“My voice is trembling a bit, because welcoming Lucy and Selam is perhaps the dream of every museum in the world, and for the National Museum, this dream is about to come true. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to exhibit these world-unique objects. It is a great honour but also a commitment.”
The discovery of Lucy and Selam provided crucial insights into how early human ancestors balanced life between walking on two legs and climbing trees, explains Velemínský:
“As far as we know, their brain size was similar to that of a chimpanzee. We can assume they lived in social groups, much like modern chimpanzees. Lucy stood about one meter ten centimetres tall, weighed around 30 kilograms, and walked upright.”
The original bone fragments will be displayed as part of the Human Origins and Fossils exhibition, which runs from August 25 for two months. Visitors will also be able to see a lifelike reconstruction of Lucy, depicted eating leaves from a branch.
Once thought to be humanity’s oldest known ancestor, Lucy lost that title in 1994 with the discovery of Ardi, a female who lived 4.5 million years ago—also in Ethiopia. However, Lucy remains one of the most important and iconic discoveries in the study of human evolution.
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