Porc Epic

Porc Epic cave is situated some 2 km south of Dire Dawa at the foot of the escarpment rising from the southern Afar plain and straddling the mouth of the river Datchatu. It is located nears the top of the hill called Garad Erer that rises very steeply from the wadi floor on the eastern side. Although the cave is not easily accessible, it commands a view of a great expanse of lower lying, open terrain to the north and of the wadi bed leading
southwards into the escarpment (Clark and Williamson 1984).

The site was uncovered and for the first time test excavated in 1929; and a full scale excavation was undertaken in 1933, 1974 and 1975. All the excavations yielded a large amount of artifacts and other findings. This include lithic assemblage, faunal and floral remains including a mandible of early homo sapiens, pottery and above all a rich painting on the walls of the cave, which are all belonged to the Middle and Later Stone Ages.

Laga-oda

Laga-oda ancient caves are located some 38 kms away from the center of Dire Dawa city in the Guninfeta Peasants Association to the southwest. Three caves known locally by the names Goda-Kataba, Goda-Okotae and Goda-Buttu altogether make up Laga-oda caves. Goda-kataba that literally means a cave with written records is as such not a cave with an inlet and outlet. It is a rock shelter. The number of rock paintings in the shelter is
about 600 (Cervicek 1971). Apart from paintings, there are also written records on the wall. According to the local community information referring to the other two adjacent caves is already recorded on the above mentioned inscriptions (DDAC-WMEO 2003). In addition to this, the Laga Oda rock shelter yielded a number of stone artifacts that belong to the Later Stone Age and related faunal rests ( Brandt 1986, Clark 1954, Degefa 1996).