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Cape Town Prehistory
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| Human Evolution |
Southern
Africa rivals East Africa for the title 'cradle of humankind'. Discoveries at
Sterkfontein, Taung and Makapa reveal that australopithecines (primitive forms
of humans evolved from apes) were living in the region three and a half million
years ago.
Discoveries from various stages of human evolution have been
made in South Africa, including hand axes made by Homo Erectus 750,000 yeas ago
in the vicinity of Cape Town, now on display in the Wellington Museum in the
winelands.
But the oldest evidence of modern humans (Homo Sapien Sapiens) found
anywhere in the world, was found in the region of Cape Town. In the 1960s
Anthropologists dated bones of modern man found at Klasies River, on the coast
between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, at 80,000 years old. In 1994 further
discoveries at this cave were dated 100,000 years old.
On the Cape Peninsula at Fish Hoek, remains from Echo Cave have been dated to
between 75,000 and 50,000 years, and rock art found there is as old as 28,000
years.
But the oldest record of all is of footprints made by a human
woman near the lagoon at Langebaan - just north of Cape Town. These prints are
dated at 117,000 years old and are called 'the footsteps of Eve'. They are on
display at the SA Museum in Cape Town.
Further work is underway and more sites have been uncovered in recent years.
According to this evidence, the first modern people that evolved lived around
Cape Town.
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In this period of Cape History:
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Table
Mountain
Plant and
Animal Evolution
Human Evolution
Bibliography
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