Tag: “fossils”

Exciting fossil discovery in the Cradle of Humankind

The Cradle of Humankind has once again yielded a treasure. Strands of hominid hair from the Gladysvale Caves, which form part of the Cradle, are the oldest ever found. 

According to the University of the Witwatersrand researchers who made the find, the hair is the first non-bony material in the early hominid fossil record. Found in hyena dung preserved in calcified cave sediment, the hair is thought to be between 195 000 and 257 000 years old – far older than the 9 000-year-old hair from a mummy discovered in South America, which, until now, was considered the oldest human hair.

Maropeng releases online Sterkfontein Exhibition Guide

Maropeng is pleased to announce the publication of the new Sterkfontein guide on our website.

The Sterkfontein online exhibition guide complements the displays in the visitor centre at the Sterkfontein Caves. The displays here focus on the geology of cave formation and how fossils are preserved and extracted, and on the amazing finds of hominid fossils in the Sterkfontein Caves, the Cradle of Humankind’s most famous fossil site.