South Africa has some of the most ancient archaeological sites in the world, and by some accounts was the cradle of humanity. Humans have been living in southern Africa for hundreds of thousands of years, and to observe the evidence of our past lives is an incredibly stirring experience.
It was in South and East Africa that we first stood upright, experimented with our useful thumbs, played with fire, and learnt how to make simple rock tools. There is fascinating evidence of early humans who inhabited our rocky shores and coastal environments, living off the wealth of our shoreline. Led by Gavin Whitelaw, our archaeologist from the Natal Museum, we explore the archaeological sites around our coast.
Our archaeology is rich, from fossils of the earliest humans, through the two million-year history of the Stone Age and the Khoi-San people, to a huge storehouse of rock paintings and engravings; through the 2000-year history of agriculture, mining and settlement by Iron Age immigrants from west and central Africa to South Africa´s rich colonial history.
South Africa has the richest archive of rock art in its caves, and also has among the oldest evidence of the intentional use of fire. We don’t only focus on the people who inhabited our land, however. South Africa has a fascinating fossil record, including fossil of extinct mammals such as short-necked giraffe and giant bears, as can be seen at the West Coast Fossil Park.
The caves at Pinnacle Point near Mossel Bay contain extensive Middle Stone Age deposits with multiple occupations, dated between 40 000 and 165 000 years ago. Deposits were found together with red ochre and small stone tool bladelets, and represent the oldest known human use of marine resources and an early use of ochre.
Almost everywhere along our coastline one can find mounds of shellfish and other debris, left behind from early shoreline dwellers. These shell middens prove fascinating in finding out more about our ancestors.
Sheep bones found at the Spoegrivier caves in Namaqualand have been dated back to 2000 years ago, and therefore represent an early evidence of livestock-keeping in South Africa – the Khoe Khoe no longer hunted for their food, but herded it.
We discover many of these interesting artifacts, as well as the “footprints of Eve” found at Langebaan lagoon, and the Nahoon Footprints near East London. These are both ancient imprints, preserved as trace fossils.
Other fascinating places we visit include the beautiful red desert of Xolobeni, and nearby Mzamba beach, where entire trees, ammonites and other prehistoric animals are fossilized.
Nelson’s Bay cave on the Robberg Peninsula now has a beautiful sea view, whereas when it was occupied thousands of years ago, it was far away from the sea!
Archaeology and paleontology is fascinating, and we bring it to life!
