Cradle of Human Culture Leaflet
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©MagicMill, Dean Saville & Karlind Govender Discover yourself A trip to the Cradle of Human Culture in the Western Cape does not start or end with these three sites only. Point of Human Origins - © Shaen Adey The evolution of our human culture can be experienced across the whole province. So take a road trip and time travel through the Western Cape. Explore sites like the West Coast Fossil Park (which has the largest concentration of fossils dating back 5-million years) and the famous Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn. Then experience the present and immerse yourself in the incredible collection of contemporary African art at the Zeitz MOCAA at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. These are just a few of the many amazing attractions in the Point of Human Origins, Mossel Bay Cradle of Human Culture that will fascinate you and change the way you see yourself. So start planning your road trip of a lifetime today. ©Zeitz MOCAA ©Professor Christopher Henshilwood Blombos Zeitz MOCAA The story of the Cradle of Human Culture ©MagicMill, Dean Saville & Karlind Govender logo The design is inspired by the engravings on the ostrich egg shells from Diepkloof Rock Shelter, and by the engraving on ochre pieces and the drawing on a silcrete flake at Blombos Cave. This design also alludes to fingerprints, which we see displayed in the later rock art at Diepkloof Rock Shelter. To make the markings more unique, they were shaped into the acronym COHC to become an iconic mark for the brand. This is positioned within the same ovoid shape used in the Cradle of Humankind to show a clear link between the two brands. Diepkloof Rock Shelter cradleofhumanculture.co.za cradleofhumanculture.co.za Cradle of Human Culture Routes: Discover where we came The Artist’s Journey SOUTH AFRICA LIMPOPO The Coastal Journey from: Discover the origins PROVINCE MPUMALANGA GAUTENG NORTH WEST of human culture PROVINCE Cradle of Humankind Vanrhynsdorp FREE STATE Africa is the continent that gave birth to humankind. KWAZULU- ATLANTIC NORTHERN NATAL Some of the oldest human fossil bones were discovered ATLOCEANANTIC CAPE EASTERN in Gauteng province, South Africa, in an area north of OCEAN Wild Flowers CAPE EASTERN Johannesburg now called the Cradle of Humankind. Diepkloof Riel Dancers CAPE CAPE WESTERN Rock Shelter WEST CAPE Clanwilliam While the dawn of biological humankind began in the lime- COAST Sevilla Rock stone caves of northern Gauteng, our human story continued Elandsbaai Art Tour Elands Bay Cave and developed more south, in the Western Cape province. Truitjieskraal Stadsaal It is here that we have some of the first evidence of humans Caves starting to explore their potential for social, behavioural Vredenburg West Coast Langebaan and cultural innovation. Archaeological evidence shows that Fossil CAPE KAROO West Coast Park this was one of the first places where our ancestors worked National Park Matjiesfontein N CAPE WINELANDS R with fire to create better tools, where we started regularly 27 7 eating seafood that may have allowed for our brains to de- !Khwa ttu Franschhoek & Stellenbosch monuments N GARDEN ROUTE & KLEIN KAROO velop, and where we started to express ourselves creatively Franschhoek 1 Table Bay Dine and express spirituality. Robben with Island Stellenbosch locals Cango Caves Cape Town Kayamandi Oudtshoorn This is where our modern-day culture began and where Dylan Lewis 62 George Table Mountain Sculpture Garden Dine with locals our ancestors started shaping our future through their Nelson Bay Cave Cape Town: Phillipskop CAPE OVERBERG Stanford behaviours. Peers Cave | Fish Hoek Plettenberg Bay Donald Greig Life bronze size False Bay Knysna sculpture N Maboneng Township Arts 2 Mossel Bay This is the Cradle of Human Culture, and it’s not just a place Experience | Langa Walker Bay Gansbaai St Blaize Cave Bo Kaap Foraging at Klipgat Cave Arniston/ or even a destination, but a journey of self-discovery. Norval Foundation | Steenberg Waenhuiskruins Stilbaai Pinnacle Point Cave Waenhuiskrans Zeitz MOCAA | V&A Waterfront Cape Point L’Agulhas Stilbaai Tidal Art tours in communities | Fish Traps Woodstock Iziko South African Blombos Cave Discover the three main sites Museum Whale Watching INDIAN OCEAN The Cradle of Human Culture is rooted in three main archaeological sites in the Western Cape. These sites preserve some of the world’s earliest evidence of the evolution of modern human behaviour. 1. Diepkloof Rock Shelter, east of Eland’s Bay– 2. Blombos Cave, on Blombosfontein Private Nature 3. Pinnacle Point, in Mossel Bay, – presents contains some of the earliest evidence (dating back Reserve, close to Stilbaai, is where a small stone some of the oldest evidence of heat treatment 60 000 years) of the human use of symbols, in the flake marked with intersecting lines of red ochre of rock. The record from this world renowned form of patterns engraved onto ostrich egg shell pigment (dated to around 73 000 years ago) was archaeological site shows that humans were used as water containers. Diepkloof is unfortunately found. This artefact represents, what archaeologists regularly eating seafood at about 162 000 years not open to the public, but there are many other have called, the oldest-known example of human ago. Pinnacle Point is open to the public and offers surrounding historical and archaeological places to drawing. Blombos Cave is unfortunately not open to tours with local guide Mr Christopher Jantjies or visit that link to this site, amongst which Eland’s Bay the public, but a current exhibition at Iziko South Dr Peter Nilssen. There are also many other Cave with beautiful rock paintings. Refer to the map. African Museum explains its history and findings. surrounding historical and archaeological places to Refer to the map. visit that link to this site. Refer to the map. www.humanorigin.co.za.