lower level: 1,450m asl.
Scientific enquiries: Dr R J Clarke +27-11-647-2411 or Dr LR Berger +27-11-647-2112.
| Location: | 9,5km north-west of Krugersdorp in Gauteng. 45 minute drive from Johannesburg International Airport. (26°03' South and 27°42' East) |
| Open: | FEB to DEC Tue-Sun 9-16, tours on the half hour. [2005] |
| Fee: | Adults R 10, Children R 5. |
| Classification: | dolomite limestone. |
| Light: | electric. |
| Dimension: |
upper level: 1,480m asl. lower level: 1,450m asl. |
| Guided tours: | D=60min. |
| Bibliography: | |
| Address: |
Isaac E. Stegman Reserve, Krugersdorp 1739, PO Box 481, Krugersdorp 1740, Tel: +27-11-956-6342.
E-mail: Scientific enquiries: Dr R J Clarke +27-11-647-2411 or Dr LR Berger +27-11-647-2112. |
| Last update: | $Date: 2008/07/01 20:33:21 $ |
| 1896 | an Italian contractor, Guiglelmo Martinaglia blasted here in search of lime. | |
| 09-AUG-1936 | Dr. Robert Broom visited Sterkfontein the first time. | |
| 17-AUG-1936 | Dr. Robert Broom found the first adult skull of the Australopithecus africanus. | |
| 1947 | the cranium of an Australopithecus africanus, known as Mrs. Ples, was discovered by Dr. Robert Broom and Dr. John Robinson. | |
| 1956 | in a younger part of the cave deposits, Dr. C.K. Brain discovered the first stone tools. | |
| 1968 | start of continuous excavations by the Palaeo-Anthropological Research Unit of the Unitversity of the Witwatersrand. | |
| 1998 | world's first complete hominid fossil skull with skeleton found at Sterkfontein. | |
| 1999 | inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List. |
The Sterkfontein Caves are a very important prehistoric site. Dr. Robert Broom discovered the skull of an hominid at this site, the famous Mrs Ples. Despite this name, this skull was from a male hominid, and proved, that this ancestors of mankind lived in South Africa more than 2.5 million years ago. This hominid is called Australopithecus africanus or Plesianthropus transvaalenis, which is the origin of the abbreviation Ples. Since this first finds, this cave proved to be one of the richest sites of early hominid fossils in Africa.
The cave has two levels. The upper one was open to the surface for millions of years and contains the prehistoric remains. The lower lever has an underground lake and many beautiful formations. This is the part of the cave, which is open to the public.
| Main Index | South Africa | Gauteng |
| Last updated Terms of Use, © Jochen Duckeck. |
 |
Clickable Maps Alphabetical Index |
|
Contact showcaves.com: |
|
General Information |