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Pre and ancient history

Footprints of Eve

The Footprints of Eve, discovered in 1995 in the West Coast National Park, are unmistakable human footfalls in rock – formerly sea sand. They were removed for safekeeping to the Iziko Museums' South African Museum in Cape Town. Scientists believe ‘Eve’ lived with her clan nearby in the Klasies River Mouth area. more

Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre

Getting under the skin of Nieu Bethesda includes a visit to the Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre. This region, now a semi-desert, was very different 260-million years ago, when strange creatures roamed among broad rivers, ferns and cycads. They were wiped out during the mysterious Permian extinction. more

Ancient footprints, Fraserburg

If you’re ever passing through the Karoo town of Fraserburg, stop at the local museum and ask for a guide to the farm where you can see tracks of creatures that lived more than 250-million years ago preserved in an ancient riverbed. more

The Genesis of Life

Just south of the town of Barberton, in the beautiful province of Mpumalanga, lie the oldest and best preserved sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks in the world. Known as the Genesis of Life, the Makhonjwa Mountains are on their way to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. more

The Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng

The Cradle of Humankind is a perfect monument to our world's ancient history, a testament to how far humanity has come. As you explore the Cradle of Mankind, you walk where artefacts and fossils have been excavated, truly the home of our earliest ancestors. more

South Africa's Pre- and Ancient History

Exploring the ancient history of South Africa allows one to climb the most ancient rocks on Earth, walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs and take a stroll back to the very emergence of humankind. more

Mrs Ples

Mrs Ples' skull, found in the Sterkfontein Caves, is an intriguing window into our collective past and among the most important fossil finds in the world that sounds a call to discover who we once were. more

Little Foot

Little Foot’s skeleton is amongst the most exciting of South African fossil finds. Discovered in the fossil-festooned Sterkfontein Caves, the almost-complete skeleton provides scientists with an important clue to the mystery of human evolution. more

Origins Centre, Johannesburg

The Origins Centre in South Africa details Man's evolution from ape-man to modern life. Using cutting edge technology along with creative artistic genius we learn who we are today by learning who we were yesterday. more

History of Gauteng

The History of Gauteng is rooted in its origins as a gold rush region. Today, it is the commercial and industrial centre of South Africa and one of the wealthiest provinces on the continent. Its historical past also includes a pivotal role in the country’s struggle for freedom. more

Gondwana Fossil Display

The Gondwana Fossil Display on show at the Maropeng Visitor Centre explores the Earth’s secretive past, when it was once two connected super-continents. The exhibit speaks to the Earth’s evolution over 200 million years, using priceless fossils from all over the previous Gondwana region to illustrate this incredible story. more

New Australopithecus sediba fossils

The new Australopithecus sediba fossils have gone on show at Maropeng and the Origins Centre. As a new hominid species never seen before, and the first near complete fossilised hominid remains to be discovered, these displays record many world firsts and unlock some of the secrets of mankind’s early existence. more

Taung Heritage Route, North West

The Taung Heritage Route is a fascinating journey of discovery. It comprises an area once occupied by early man and features many sites that speak to the existence and evolution of our ancient ancestors. The Taung skull fossil site, a World Heritage Site, is a major attraction on the route. more