Cradle of Humankind
Encyclopedia
The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site
first named by UNESCO
in 1999, about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg
, South Africa
in the Gauteng
province. This site currently occupies 47000 hectares (181.5 sq mi); it contains a complex of limestone
cave
s, including the Sterkfontein Caves
, where the 2.3-million year-old fossil Australopithecus africanus
(nicknamed "Mrs. Ples
") was found in 1947 by Dr. Robert Broom
and John T. Robinson
. The find helped corroborate the 1924 discovery of the juvenile Australopithecus africanus skull, "Taung Child
", by Raymond Dart
, at Taung in the North West Province
of South Africa, where excavations still continue.
The name Cradle of Humankind reflects the fact that the site has produced a large number, as well as some of the oldest, hominid fossils ever found, some dating back as far as 3.5 million years ago. Sterkfontein
alone has produced more than a third of early hominid fossils ever found.
In 1935 Robert Broom found the first ape-man fossils at Sterkfontein and began work at this site. In 1938 a young schoolboy, Gert Terrblanche, brought Raymond Dart fragments of a skull from nearby Kromdraai which later were identified as Paranthropus robustus
. Also in 1938 a single ape-man tooth was found at the Cooper's
site between Kromdraai and Sterkfontein. In 1948 the Camp-Peabody Expedition from the United States
worked at Bolts Farm and Gladysvale
looking for fossil hominids but failed to find any. Later in 1948 Robert Broom identified the first hominid remains from Swartkrans cave. In 1954 C.K. Brain
began working at sites in the Cradle including Coopers and he soon would initiate his three decade work at Swartkrans cave which would result in the recovery of the second largest sample of hominid remains from the Cradle. The oldest controlled use of fire was also discovered at Swartkrans and dated to over 1 million years ago.
In 1966 Phillip Tobias
began his excavations of Sterkfontein which are still continuing and are the longest continuously running fossil excavations in the world. In 1991 Lee Berger
of the University of the Witwatersrand
discovered the first hominid specimens from the Gladysvale site making this the first new early hominid site to be discovered in South Africa in 48 years. In 1994 Andre Keyser
discovered fossil hominids at the site of Drimolen. In 1997 Kevin Kuykendall and Colin Menter of the University of the Witwatersrand found two fossil hominid teeth at the site of Gondolin. Also in 1997, the near-complete Australopithecus skeleton of "Little Foot
", dating to around 3.3 million years ago (although more recent dates suggest it is closer to 2.5 million years ago), was discovered by Ron Clarke
. In 2001 Steve Churchill of Duke University
and Lee Berger found early modern human remains at Plovers Lake. Also in 2001 the first hominid fossils and stone tools were discovered in-situ at Coopers. In 2010, Lee Berger discovered the partial remains of two hominids (Australopithecus sediba
) in the Malapa Fossil Site
that lived between 1.78 and 1.95 million years ago.
remains at the Cradle of Humankind are found in dolomitic caves and are encased in a mixture of limestone and other sediments called breccia
and fossilised over time. Hominids may have lived all over Africa
, but their remains are found only at sites where conditions allowed for the formation and preservation of fossils.
On 7 December 2005, then South African President Thabo Mbeki
opened the new Maropeng Visitors Centre at the site.
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
first named by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 1999, about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in the Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
province. This site currently occupies 47000 hectares (181.5 sq mi); it contains a complex of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s, including the Sterkfontein Caves
Sterkfontein
-References:-References:-References:: : : :...
, where the 2.3-million year-old fossil Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 2–3 million years ago in the Pliocene. In common with the older Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus was slenderly built, or gracile, and was thought to have been a direct ancestor of modern humans. Fossil...
(nicknamed "Mrs. Ples
Mrs. Ples
Mrs. Ples is the popular nickname for the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus specimen ever found in South Africa. Many fossils of this species, which are considered to be the distant relatives of all humankind, have been found in the Sterkfontein area, in what has been designated...
") was found in 1947 by Dr. Robert Broom
Robert Broom
Professor Robert Broom was a Scottish South African doctor and paleontologist. He qualified as a medical practitioner in 1895 and received his DSc in 1905 from the University of Glasgow...
and John T. Robinson
John T. Robinson
John Talbot Robinson was a distinguished South African hominid paleontologist. His most famous discovery was the nearly complete Human evolution fossil skull of an Australopithecus africanus, known as Mrs. Ples.Robinson was born in Elliot, South Africa...
. The find helped corroborate the 1924 discovery of the juvenile Australopithecus africanus skull, "Taung Child
Taung Child
The Taung Child — or Taung Baby — is the fossilized skull of a young Australopithecus africanus individual. It was discovered in 1924 by quarrymen working for the Northern Lime Company in Taung, South Africa...
", by Raymond Dart
Raymond Dart
Raymond Arthur Dart was an Australian anatomist and anthropologist, best known for his involvement in the 1924 discovery of the first fossil ever found of Australopithecus africanus, an extinct hominid closely related to humans, at Taung in the North of South Africa in the province...
, at Taung in the North West Province
North West (South African province)
North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mafikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng.-History:...
of South Africa, where excavations still continue.
The name Cradle of Humankind reflects the fact that the site has produced a large number, as well as some of the oldest, hominid fossils ever found, some dating back as far as 3.5 million years ago. Sterkfontein
Sterkfontein
-References:-References:-References:: : : :...
alone has produced more than a third of early hominid fossils ever found.
History of discoveries
Paranthropus robustus
Paranthropus robustus was originally discovered in Southern Africa in 1938. The development of P. robustus, namely in cranial features, seemed to be aimed in the direction of a "heavy-chewing complex"...
. Also in 1938 a single ape-man tooth was found at the Cooper's
Coopers Cave South Africa
Cooper's Cave is a series of fossil-bearing breccia filled cavities located almost exactly between the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Kromdraai and about 40 km Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa.-Tools:...
site between Kromdraai and Sterkfontein. In 1948 the Camp-Peabody Expedition from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
worked at Bolts Farm and Gladysvale
Gladysvale Cave South Africa
Gladysvale Cave is a fossil-bearing breccia filled cave located about 13 km Northeast of the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans and about 45 km North-Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa...
looking for fossil hominids but failed to find any. Later in 1948 Robert Broom identified the first hominid remains from Swartkrans cave. In 1954 C.K. Brain
Charles Kimberlin Brain
Charles Kimberlin Brain , born in Southern Rhodesia in 1931, is an eminent South African paleontologist who has studied and taught African cave taphonomy for more than fifty years.-Biography:From 1965 to 1991, Dr...
began working at sites in the Cradle including Coopers and he soon would initiate his three decade work at Swartkrans cave which would result in the recovery of the second largest sample of hominid remains from the Cradle. The oldest controlled use of fire was also discovered at Swartkrans and dated to over 1 million years ago.
In 1966 Phillip Tobias
Phillip V. Tobias
Phillip Vallentine Tobias is a South African palaeoanthropologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg...
began his excavations of Sterkfontein which are still continuing and are the longest continuously running fossil excavations in the world. In 1991 Lee Berger
Lee R. Berger
Lee Rogers Berger is a paleoanthropologist, physical anthropologist and archeologist and is best known for his discovery of Australopithecus sediba and his work on Australopithecus africanus body proportions and the Taung Bird of Prey Hypothesis.-Background:Berger was born in Shawnee Mission,...
of the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
discovered the first hominid specimens from the Gladysvale site making this the first new early hominid site to be discovered in South Africa in 48 years. In 1994 Andre Keyser
Andre Keyser
Andre Werner Keyser , was a South African palaeontologist and geologist noted for his discovery of the Drimolen hominid site and of numerous hominid remains....
discovered fossil hominids at the site of Drimolen. In 1997 Kevin Kuykendall and Colin Menter of the University of the Witwatersrand found two fossil hominid teeth at the site of Gondolin. Also in 1997, the near-complete Australopithecus skeleton of "Little Foot
Little Foot
"Little Foot" is the nickname given to an extraordinarily complete fossil hominin skeleton found in 1994–1998 in the cave system of Sterkfontein, South Africa.- Discovery :...
", dating to around 3.3 million years ago (although more recent dates suggest it is closer to 2.5 million years ago), was discovered by Ron Clarke
Ronald J. Clarke
Ronald J. Clarke is a paleoanthropologist most notable for the discovery of "Little Foot", an extraordinary complete skeleton of Australopithecus, in the Sterkfontein Caves...
. In 2001 Steve Churchill of Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and Lee Berger found early modern human remains at Plovers Lake. Also in 2001 the first hominid fossils and stone tools were discovered in-situ at Coopers. In 2010, Lee Berger discovered the partial remains of two hominids (Australopithecus sediba
Australopithecus sediba
Australopithecus sediba is a species of Australopithecus of the early Pleistocene, identified based on fossil remains dated to about 2 million years ago....
) in the Malapa Fossil Site
Malapa Fossil Site, Cradle of Humankind
Malapa is a fossil-bearing cave located about Northeast of the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans and about North-Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa...
that lived between 1.78 and 1.95 million years ago.
Sites
There are more than three dozen fossil-bearing caves in the Cradle of Humankind. Important sites include:- Bolt's Farm
- Cooper's CaveCoopers Cave South AfricaCooper's Cave is a series of fossil-bearing breccia filled cavities located almost exactly between the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Kromdraai and about 40 km Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa.-Tools:...
- Drimolen
- GladysvaleGladysvale Cave South AfricaGladysvale Cave is a fossil-bearing breccia filled cave located about 13 km Northeast of the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans and about 45 km North-Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa...
- Gondolin
- HaasgatHaasgatHaasgat is a fossil-bearing cave located in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Area about Northeast of the well known South African hominin-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans and about North-Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located on private land...
- KromdraaiKromdraai fossil siteKromdraai is a fossil-bearing breccia filled cave located about 2 km east of the well known South African hominid-bearing site of Sterkfontein and about 45 km Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa...
- Malapa Fossil SiteMalapa Fossil Site, Cradle of HumankindMalapa is a fossil-bearing cave located about Northeast of the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans and about North-Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa...
- Minaars Cave
- MotsetsiMotsetsi-Geographical Location:Motsetsi Cave is a fossil-bearing breccia filled cavity located about 14 km East of the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Kromdraai and about 45 km North-Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa.-History of...
- Plovers LakePlovers LakePlovers Lake Cave is a fossil-bearing breccia filled cavity in South Africa. The cave is located about 4 km Southeast of the well known South African hominid-bearing sites of Sterkfontein and Kromdraai and about 36 km Northwest of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa.-History of...
- SterkfonteinSterkfontein-References:-References:-References:: : : :...
- SwartkransSwartkransSwartkrans is a location in South Africa, around from Johannesburg.Swartkrans is a farm near to Sterkfontein, notable for being extremely rich in archaeological material, particularly hominid remains. It was purchased by the University of the Witwatersrand in 1968...
- Wonder Cave
Geological context
The homininHomininae
Homininae is a subfamily of Hominidae, which includes humans, gorillas and chimpanzees, and some extinct relatives; it comprises all those hominids, such as Australopithecus, that arose after the split from orangutans . Our family tree, which has 3 main branches leading to chimpanzees, humans and...
remains at the Cradle of Humankind are found in dolomitic caves and are encased in a mixture of limestone and other sediments called breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
and fossilised over time. Hominids may have lived all over Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but their remains are found only at sites where conditions allowed for the formation and preservation of fossils.
Visitor centres
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
opened the new Maropeng Visitors Centre at the site.