Human origins and culture

[expedition_retirement]

 Our trip included a free day when we arrived in Johannesburg, before our safari excursions got underway. After looking at the various tours available, we decided to go out to see the Maropeng Museum and Visitor Center at the "Cradle of Humankind" and the nearby Lesedi Cultural Village. The "Cradle of Humankind" is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (although it is listed there as "the hominid fossil sites of South Africa"), and includes a number of limestone caves where a large number of early hominid fossils have been found, some dating back as far as 2 million years ago. These fossil finds have helped shed some light onto the evolutionary history of humanity and show the variety of different hominid species that have evolved in this region. The museum was a fascinating exploration of human evolution, and provided a nice overview of our contemporary understanding of the relationships between the various hominid species. Clearly, there is still much to learn, and it is possible that future discoveries in this region might help answer them. Unfortunately, the caves were closed after some flooding a few years ago and have not reopened to the public. It was unclear if this extended closure was due to safety concerns or to protect the caves and their fossil contents from damage by visitors.

Our other stop for the day included a tour of the Lesedi Cultural Village. This compound is a hotel and living museum that showcases the cultures of several of South Africa's native tribes. At each "village" we learned a little about the culture and customs of each different tribe, as well as the similarities and differences between them. We finished with music and dance show that allowed us to better experience these cultures. Afterwards, we enjoyed a lunch of local foods (including a yummy antelope stew), before we returned back to Jo'burg and our hotel.