The lost world of the Omo Valley: Incredible photographs reveal the untouched tribal communities of Ethiopia whose ancient way of life is now under threat

• These incredible photographs show tribesmen living an almost untouched ancient way of life in the Omo Valley
• The area is known for the lip-plated Mursi and the Karo, famed for using red ochre and white chalk as body paint
• They were photographed by Italian Massimo Rumi during a two month trip to the region in southern Ethiopia

By COREY CHARLTON FOR MAILONLINE

‘In a world that has become increasingly globalised I wanted to travel to this remote area of Africa before modernisation completely changed the life of these ancient tribes.’

The cultural heritage of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley has, until recently, been relatively untouched by globalisation however nowadays dressing up for visitors has become normalised.
He added: ‘My biggest disappointment was to learn about the negative impact tourism is having on their behaviour, and considering that Ethiopia was recently nominated tourist destination of the year, this change can only get worse with time.

‘Every time I was approaching a tribe village I had to negotiate a fee with the chief village for taking pictures or sometimes I had to pay the people that I wanted to photograph directly. I felt as if I was casting for a fashion shoot.

The Daasanach tribe, of which this woman is a member, live in an area stretching out across Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan

The Mursi Tribe are famous for their traditions including the fierce fighting between men and the insertion of plates of clay in the lower lip

An elderly member of the Daasanach tribe poses for a photograph decorated wit a stunning array of shells and trinkets