Kibish

Kibish is a locality in southwestern Ethiopia, located in the Gambela Region near the border with South Sudan. It lies along the Kibish River in a rural lowland area that is part of the broader Omo Valley region. The area experiences a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, and the local economy is largely based on small-scale farming, pastoralism, and cross-border trade.

The name Kibish is also associated with a major paleontological site in the Lower Omo Valley, known as the Omo Kibish Formation. Excavations near Kibish uncovered some of the oldest widely accepted Homo sapiens fossils, including specimens referred to as Omo I and Omo II, dating to roughly 195,000 years ago. These finds have played a significant role in discussions about the origins of modern humans and the timeline of human evolution in Africa.

Beyond archaeology, Kibish and its surrounding areas are inhabited by diverse communities and participate in regional economic activity such as farming, herding, and local commerce. The locality also functions as a waypoint for people traveling within Gambela and toward cross-border routes into South Sudan, although infrastructure outside larger towns can be limited.