Cradle of Humankind - A look back in time

Cradle of Humankind - A look back in time

The Cradle of Humankind is a protected 47 000 hectare Unesco World Heritage site.It is situated in a completely unique geological and ecological region of the planet. This is what was made it both special for the evolution of humankind and also for the preservation of that extraordinarily rich record in its buried fossils. The cave systems are the major part of its attractions and make valuable contributions to the global research into our shared origins. Both Sterkfontein and the Maropeng sites bring all this to guests in an interesting and understandable fashion. A bonus is the exquisite landscapes of the Cradle. There are nearly 600 cave sites, incredible paleontological discoveries, game reserves and private boutique hotels and conference centres, The Cradle is a popular weekend break away area, testament to its success.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Sterkfontein Caves Rd. Kromdraai Road Off the R563, Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site South Africa

Your guide will give a detailed description about cave formation and the preservation of fossils in this 20 million years old cave system. On the surface your guide will discuss how potential past living conditions, competition for food and climate changes influenced and assisted hominin evolution and increased the adaptive success of our recent ancestors. All this plays forward into modern human society,

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Maropeng Visitor Centre, R400 off R563 Hekpoort Road Sterkfontein, Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site 1911 South Africa

The Maropeng Visitors Centre is the official visitors centre for the World heritage site known as the Cradle of Humankind. Our accredited guide will introduce you to the design concept of the structure and pay your admission fees. Your guide will take you through the exhibition which includes interactive exhibits, a boat ride and multiple static displays. The guide will assist with the back story to the exhibits and how they relate to the caves and other parts of the much larger regional cave systems. Fossils and caves have context and considerable ongoing research that is both interesting and rewarding to explore. The past 8 years have thrown up many new discoveries and they in turn have brought answers and more questions. This is an exciting and rewarding tour.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes