Cradle
of Humankind
- Gauteng - South Africa
 Sterkfontein - Swartkrans - Kromdraai - Drimolen - Wonder Cave: A World
Heritage Site
Here in a site of some 47,000 ha,
just to the north west of Johannesburg lie, amongst a number of minor
fossil sites, some 12 major excavations.
During the Plio-Pleistocene - the past 3 million odd years - the region
had a subtropical environment and was conducive to hominin occupation.
Here begins our study on the wealth of this legacy of fossilised history,
the Cradle of Humankind.
There is evidence that modern man
split from our ancestral apes some 5 to 7 million years ago. Some 13 different
hominin species have been identified since the 'split'. Discovery of their
fossilised remains are concentrated in primarily two areas, East Africa
and here in South Africa, with some 35% of the World's hominin fossils
emanating from the Cradle of Humankind area. Mrs Ples and Little
Foot.
The fossil record
in Europe and North America of the recent past few million years, has
been well discovered and documented. The sites in Africa - bar a few such
as Olduvai Gorge and the Cradle of Humankind - have not received prominence,
and have remained largely unknown due to the venues not being publicised.
Here is a country with a wealth of possible new discoveries - South
Africa.
Some issues
of note:
-
Origination
of homonins - Africa
-
Africans
originated stone tool useage
-
First use
and management of fire
-
Oldest record
of modern man habitation
-
the earliest
living organism on Earth - blue-green algae, stromatolites were discovered
near Barberton, Mpumalanga, South Africa.!
BRIEF
SITE DESCRIPTIONS
Sterkfontein:
This world-renowned site is one of the richest and most prolific fossil
sites in the world. The fossils found from here, as early as 1936, were
instrumental in proving that Africa was the Cradle of Humankind. It boasts
such impressive finds as the famous Mrs. Ples, the first complete Australopithecus
africanus skull found in 1947 and ’Little Foot’, part of a complete skeleton
that came to light in 1999.
Swartkrans is the second richest fossil hominid site in southern
Africa and it has yielded the largest sample of Australopithecus robustus.
Amongst some of its notable finds are the first evidence for the co-existence
of two hominid species living at the same time and the earliest evidence
for the use of fire in the world.
Drimolen was only discovered in 1992 and is already the third richest hominid site
in southern Africa. On the 26th April 2000, the most complete female A.
robustus skull along with a complete male jaw made world headlines. This
site has unearthed 79 hominid fossils, a wealth of faunal remains and
some fossil Homo babies. As the site is being excavated all year round,
it provides an excellent opportunity to see an excavation in progress.On
booking of any tour, an itinerary is provided.
Full
Day and half day tours
 
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