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Maropeng visitor center at the Cradle of Humankind by Olga Ernst from
Top 10 Fun Facts about the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa
The Cradle of Humankind is the world’s eighth heritage site, having been designated by UNESCO in 1999. This site contains the greatest concentration of human fossils and tools in the world. The oldest discovery dates back three million years.
The site is in Gauteng province, 50 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. The site has 47,000 hectares and a system of limestone caves to learn and explore. It is an excellent place to learn about the origin of mankind and various discoveries such as fire, among others.
Here are 10 interesting truths about the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa.
1. The Cradle of Humankind has over 10 fossil sites
Maropeng Visitor Centre, at the Cradle of Humankind by Olga Ernst from
There are 13 major fossil sites in the area. Sterkfontein, near Krugersdorp, is the most prominent of the thirteen sites. Swartkrans, Kromdraai, Drimolen, Bolt’s Farm, and Gondolin are some of the others. The majority of these sites are still in ongoing excavation, which makes it exciting to have first-hand experience for visitors.
2. Sterkfontein is the most famous of the thirteen sites
The Sterkfontein site houses over 500 hominid fossils and over 9,000 stone tools, discovered by Pretoria paleontologist Robert Broom. In 1947, Robert Broom discovered the Australopithecus africanus known as Mrs. Ples, which dated back 2.5 million years.
Broom’s other headline finding was the little foot, an almost complete ape-man skeleton that was over 4 million years old. Ronald Clarke and Philip Tobias discovered the first piece of foot bone in 1995. The bones were thought to have been in a box since 1970 before being excavated.
3. The meaning of the cradle of humankind
The cradle of mankind refers to the fact that the area has yielded more hominin fossils than any other location on the planet. The oldest find happened 3.5 million years ago.
4. Cradle of humankind’s geological area served as a preservative
Drimolen Main Quarry by Andy Herries from
The geological area upon which the cradle of humankind lies was conducive to the preservation of fossils over time. This was noticed because hominids lived throughout Africa, but the majority of their remains were discovered only in locations where conditions allowed for formation as well as preservation.
As per findings, the Cradle of Humankind caves is frequently encased in a mixture of limestone and other sediments called breccias that fossilized over time.
5. Notable fossils in the cradle of humankind are Mrs. Ples and little foot
Homo Naledi Skull by Martinvl from
Both of these species are found in the Sterkfontein fossil site. Mrs. Ples, also known as Australopithecus africanus, was a 2.2 to 2.8 million-year-old skull. The scientists at first thought it was a female skull, but it was later proven to be a male skull.
The little foot was discovered by the team in the year 1995. The Skelton, according to scientific research, is one of the earliest male hominins, maybe older than Australopithecus africanus.
6. The Cradle of Humankind visitor center began operations in 2005
In the year 2005, South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki opened the cradle of the humanity visitor center. Hence the Maropeng Visitors Centre was established.
Visitors to the region are treated to a view of fossils and stone tools, as well as learn everything there is to know about early man and his inventions. Guests get the chance to go on a tour of the Sterkfontein Caves.
Another surprise for tourists is the Malapa site which has a steel structure called “Beetles”. It allows those visiting the region to see the excavation that is taking place. It’s worth noting that excavation stopped in 2009 when the remains of four Australopithecus sediba individuals were discovered.
7. The Philip Thomas excavation is the longest-running in the world
Philip Tobias was a renowned South African paleoanthropologist and an emeritus professor at Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand. His work on hominid fossil sites in South Africa was appreciated throughout his country. Philip Thomas began his excavation work on Sterkfontein in 1966, which is still ongoing and is the world’s longest fossil excavation.
8. Fossil remains were discovered in the Malapa cave
The Malapa site in the Cradle of Humankind by Profberger from
Malapa Cave is one of the many attractions in the Cradle of Humankind. In the year 2008, the jawbone and collarbone of a young male hominin were discovered in the cave. This species was named Australopithecus sediba because it was distinct from the other Australopithecus species.
This species was thought to be more developed than Australopithecus. This discovery demonstrated a more advanced link to more evolved hominins, which led to the discovery of more fossils of the same species that were approximately 2 million years old.
9. Rising Star Cave System clarified earlier reports about the Homo Naledi species
A team of scientists discovered over 1500 human fossils in the cradle of the human rising star cave system. This happened in 2015. The remains belonged to the Homo Naledi species. It wasn’t until the discovery that the species became clear.
In earlier years, scientists believed the species lived two million years ago, but it was later revealed to have lived about 236,000 years ago. This was evidence that Homo Naledi lived at the same time as Homo sapiens or modern humans.
10. The Swartkrans cave is in the cradle of humanity
Swartkrans cave is one of the sites discovered in the human cradle. The recovery of the second largest sample of hominids from the cradle was recorded at this site. One of the most noteworthy discoveries was the oldest use of fire by Homo erectus, which was discovered in this place over a million years ago.
This Johannesburg-based anthropological site, the Cradle of Humankind has the world’s highest concentration of human ancestral remains. The area has vast hectares of land to explore.
Since 2008, visitors are welcome to learn about and explore this world heritage center. Besides a view of the early remains of mankind, you get insights into the human race’s early developments including fire and various tools to name a few highlights.
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