The beginning of the world – Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves | Official Visitor Centres for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site

The universe was formed about 14-billion years ago. The Earth is about 4.6-billion years old. Life first emerged about 3.8-billion years ago. Our journey begins in South Africa, where fossils of some of the earliest known life forms on Earth have been found. Click on the sections below to learn more.