Cradle of Humankind

UNESCO-listed system of fossil-bearing caves near Johannesburg that has yielded major hominin discoveries.

Country:South Africa

Language:English

Published:2025-11-08

Audience:Travellers, students of palaeontology, schoolchildren

The Cradle of Humankind is a paleoanthropological site located about 50 km north-west of Johannesburg, South Africa. The area, comprising a complex of limestone caves including Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. The caves have produced some of the worlds most important hominin fossils, including "Mrs Ples" (Australopithecus africanus) and "Little Foot", as well as the 2015 discovery of Homo naledi at Rising Star Cave.

Keywords

Cradle of Humankind

Sterkfontein

palaeontology

Homo naledi

UNESCO

Source & licence

Source: Wikipedia

URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_Humankind

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

Wikipedia article. CC BY-SA 4.0 attribution required.

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