1 reply to this topic

[PadPredikant]

Makapans Valley is one of only two Stone Age sites in the world that offered up an unbroken sequence of artefacts from the Earlier Stone Age to the Later Stone Age.

One of the historic caves in Limpopo, the Cave of Gwasa, later (1854) became known as Makapan's Cave, after the great chief Makapan who with several thousand members of the Kekana chiefdom by the Voortrekkers following an attack on a party of trekboers at Moorddrift.

Makapans Valley was declared part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in 2005 and it is one of 15 sites that make up the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.

Makapansgat is a paleontological site of international significance northeast of Mokopane, ex. Potgietersrus, in the Limpopo province. Once a marshy wetland with an enormous diversity of plant life, human-like primates hunted its once huge herds of antelope, fended off sabre-tooth cats, and lived in its limestone caves.

In the 1920s, limestone prospectors exposed thousands of fossils during their excavations at the caves in the Makapans Valley. Some of these found their way to anthropologist, Professor Raymond Dart.

Dart had hypothesised that humans had descended from apes, following his discovery of the controversial Taung skull in 1924.

Dart's claim of an extinct hominin closely related to humans was vindicated in 1947, when colleague Dr Robert Broom discovered Mrs Ples, the most complete skull of an Australopithecus africanus specimen ever found, at the Sterkfontein caves.

That same year, palaeontologist James Kitching unearthed more Australopithecus africanus fossils from the Cave of Hearths at Makapansgat.

From 1925 to 1947, Dart systematically investigated the fossils at Makapansgat. He identified and described several new Australopithecus africanus specimens from the lime-kilns at the site.

Visitors wishing to visit Makapansgat should first tour the associated exhibition in the Arend Dieperink Museum in nearby Mokopane (Potgietersrus), where archaeological and palaeontological material, as well as historical artefacts, discovered at the caves are on display.

From there you can drive to Makapan Valley and take a guided tour of 3 caves, starting at the Limeworks where the hominin fossils were discovered.

Next, the Cave of Hearths reveals evidence of the earliest controlled use of fire in Africa, and traces human occupation in the area from the early Stone Age to the Iron Age.

Finally, in the Historic Cave, or Makapansgat, you learn of the tragic outcome of lingering hostilities between the Voortrekkers and local Ndebele tribes.

In 1854, Boer forces, retaliating after 2 chieftains massacred 28 Voortrekkers, besieged Chief Makapan (also called Mokopane) in the cave, along with 2 000 followers, for 30 days while they died of starvation.

Legends regarding Chief Makapan abound. Some say he escaped, lashed to the belly of a cow, others claim he fled under the cover of darkness, and that his spirit still wanders the valley of Makapan…

Contacts:

Arend Dieperink Museum

97 Thabo Mbeki Drive, Mokopane

Phone: +27 (0) 15 491 9735 Email: yselh@mweb.co.za

Makapan Valley Heritage Site

Mobile: +27 (0)78 483 1473

[Anorawillson]

Hello..
This is really an amazing information regarding the Makapans valley. I have not heard so much about the place so don't have that much of knowledge regarding it. I am glad I visited here and come to know about it. I have gathered a huge knowledge being here.
_________________
Amazing deals available: villa lloret | villas spain .