On my first trip to South Africa I spent a long time in the country – a really long time. I’m talking nearly six weeks of adventures in the southern most country on the continent of Africa. I was staying at the Cedar Lodge, a guest lodge in Krugersdorp, South Africa. I’ll write a post about them in the future since it was a charming place to stay. Krugersdorp is about a 90-minute drive from Johannesburg. It’s located near an area referred to as the Cradle of Humankind.
The Cradle of Humankind is a 183-square mile area that is home to a diverse collection of fossils from the early ancestors of humans. Considered a World Heritage Site, I took a taxi for the 15-minute ride to the Sterkfontein Caves. I couldn’t believe that a paleontological discovery this significant was located just a stone’s throw away. Of course I had to discover what adventures were awaiting me.
The first stop was a museum that had a collection of hominid fossils. The most notable were those of the Australopithecus.
The Australopithecus is considered to be one of the earliest ancestors of you and I. The fossil finds in this area date back to as long as 4 million years ago. I can’t even fathom a time period that long ago. 4 million years. Think about it. We’ve been walking this planet for 4 million years. What was life way back then? The museum included some exhibits about life for these furry beings who were deeply in need of a razor and botox.
But seriously. All sorts of questions ran through my head: What did they eat? How did they communicate? What did they do for fun? Where did they live? We may never know.
Perhaps the most famous fossil find here is that of “Mrs. Ples” and Little Foot. Mrs. Ples was a pre-hominid skull found in the caves that is over 2 million years old (give or take a few months). Little Foot was an almost complete hominid skeleton 4.17 million years old. Since the discovery of Mrs. Ples in the 1940′s the caves have become a permanent dig site.
Just before entering the limestone caves was a stone marker commemorating the find by Dr. Robert Broom and John T. Robinson.
The steps took us down 180 feet into the limestone caves. It was dark and tough to see where we were walking. Cave exploration is filled with these kinds of obstacles.
We went about 180 feet underground and saw the usual cave sites. The most impressive was at the very bottom of the cave. There was a pool of still water sitting silently. The illumination of the lights in the cave cast an eery greyish/ blue tint on the pool.
We spent about 30 minutes or so underground. After our ascent there was a bust of Dr. Bloom holding Mrs. Ples. I decided to hold Dr. Bloom as if someone might discover him 4 million years from now.
At the top of the caves you could see the excavation continue.
The Sterkfontein Caves is a bit out of the way if you’re staying directly in Johannesburg. But if you find yourself in the neighborhood with a few hours to spare, the Sterkfontein Caves are a fascinating diversion into the past.
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