“The essence of visiting the Cradle of Mankind”
The Olduvai Gorge is a famous and rich paleontological site in Tanzania and the world at large and hence sometimes called the “Cradle of mankind”. This area was original called “Oldupai Gorge” but most people mispronounced it as Olduvai hence it becoming its current name. It is a site you would not want to miss out while on holiday in Tanzania.
The gorge is deep more than 30miles in length and 90m deep with a weathered monolith, not yet regarded as a canyon; it is situated in the North of Tanzania along the eastern Serengeti Plain within the boundaries of the Ngorongoro Maasai Land.
The Olduvai Gorge lies in the Great Rift Valley and it is believed that it came into existence approximately 30,000 years ago. In this Gorge is where the evidence of mankind evolution is said to be traced since the oldest human skull was discovered in this same place by a couple of paleontologists Dr. Mary and Louis Leakey. Also over the years they had discovered other bone fragments in countries like Ethiopia and Kenya and that is why in most cases humans are said to have evolved in Africa. Dr. Mary Leakey also discovered the Footprints in Laetoli which is a great place that attracts different researcher and tourists today.
The discovery
In 1911, European paleontologists Hans Reck and Wilhelm Kattwinkel discovered fossil remains of the extinct three toed horses in the Oldupai, as there study went on in 1913 they discovered a hominid skeleton but this study was later interrupted with the war. Furthermore, the Leakeys had to follow up these leads but had to wait until the end of World War II, as they went on with the exploration they discovered Homo Habilis remains which had a brain approximately half of the modern man’s size. They Dr.Mary working hand in hand with her husband Louis Leakey discovered hominine fossils which had existed for more than 3.75 million years
While on a visit to the Northern circuit in Tanzania, you cannot miss out a visit to Olduvai, there is a small and well-arranged and stocked Museum which has enough information concerning the history of the place, it is a great place both educational and emotional.
The Shifting sands
These are stunning features found in the areas where by there is an extraordinary sand dune which appears on the short grassy plains. With the help of the prevailing winds, the dune always drifts slowly along the beautiful landscape which is always a fascinating phenomenon to watch these crescent-shaped sand dunes; these come about when the unidirectional wind and sufficient dust on the ground cluster around a rock and by this the volcanic ash goes on gathering around this rock t form sand dunes.
