Tag: “preservation”

The world’s oldest fossilised dinosaur eggs on display at Maropeng

Tara Turkington

Some of the most exciting items on display at Maropeng at the moment are the world’s oldest fossilised dinosaur eggs, which are also the oldest known evidence of parental care. The Massospondylus eggs, 195-million years old, can be clearly seen with the aid of a magnifying glass and are part of the Treasures of our Past exhibition currently on display.

Earliest dinosaur discoveries in South Africa made in 1845

Tara Turkington

South Africa has a rich heritage of fossils ranging from dinosaur eggs to plant fossils, as well as earliest evidence of modern humans, Homo sapiens. The earliest documented dinosaur fossil discovery in South Africa was in 1845.

At Maropeng you can learn about this rich heritage by visiting the exhibition, viewing fossils on display or attending one of our fun events, such as the Cooper’s Cave picnics.

Rating programme keeps Maropeng environmentally sound

Maropeng operates in a manner that minimises its impact on the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site as well as the environment as a whole. It follows an environmental management programme tailored for the travel and leisure market, the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme.

Maropeng takes top honours at the Welcome Awards

Maropeng, the official visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, took top honours at the 2008 Welcome Awards, in the Tourist Attraction category.

World-class guides at world-class visitor centre

All Maropeng guides have received accreditation with the Gauteng Tourism Authority. In 1999, the fossil hominid sites of Sterkfontein Caves, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs in the Cradle of Humankind were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, which aims to preserve areas of exceptional value throughout the world.

Sterkfontein Caves introduces visitor management policy

In 1999, the fossil hominid sites of Sterkfontein Caves, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs in the Cradle of Humankind were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. To facilitate the growing interest in this internationally acclaimed heritage attraction, Maropeng was purpose-built as the gateway to the Cradle of Humankind, showcasing the wealth of paleao-anthropological evidence found in this area.