The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs

　　  The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs feature numerous cave remains that were once home to ancient humans, with an evolutionary history dating back 33 million years, serving as compelling evidence of human evolution and origins. The fossils discovered here serve as multiple specimens confirming early hominins and also provide evidence of animal domestication from 18 million to 1 million years ago.

　　  Among them, many caves in the Sterkfontein Valley hold a wealth of scientific information about the evolution of modern humans over the past 3.5 million years, including human life, animals that coexisted with humans, and those hunted for food. The Sterkfontein site includes an exceptionally large and scientifically significant cluster of sites that help shed light on the early lives of human ancestors. It holds a rich repository of scientific data with immense potential. The Sterkfontein fossil cave was formed by the dissolution of dolomite beneath the water table and subsequent deposition, and it is considered one of the richest areas for hominin fossils in Africa.

　　  The Kromdraai fossil cave stands 40 meters high, is 125 meters long, and 50 meters wide. Visitors can enter without bending through the cave entrance, taking a built staircase down to an elevator located 22 meters underground. Upon exiting the elevator, visitors find themselves 40 meters below the surface. The Kromdraai fossil cave is still active, with many formations growing at a rate of 1 millimeter to 1 centimeter per hundred years—a true marvel.

　　Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs

　　Must-visit reason: One of the richest areas for hominin fossils in Africa

　　Continent where the attraction is located: Africa

　　Country/region where the attraction is located: South Africa

　　Province/state where the attraction is located: Gauteng, Limpopo, and North West Provinces