Coordinates: 26°00′56.36″S, 27°44′03.46″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Archaeologists in a structure above the entrance to Sterkfontein.

Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for Strong Spring) is a set of limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located in Gauteng province, Northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa near the town of Krugersdorp. The archaeological sites of Swartkrans (Afrikaans for Black Cliff) and Kromdraai (Afrikaans for Crooked Turn) (and the Wonder Cave) are in the same area. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (685x723, 189 KB)A photograph of archaeologists at Sterkfontein cave, where Mrs Ples was found. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (685x723, 189 KB)A photograph of archaeologists at Sterkfontein cave, where Mrs Ples was found. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Look up Wiktionary:Swadesh lists for Afrikaans and Dutch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Cave (disambiguation). ... Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, ancient; ontos, being; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ... See Anthropology. ... Categories: South Africa stubs | Provinces of South Africa | Gauteng Province ... // This article is about the city in South Africa. ... Krugersdorp is a mining city in the West Rand of Gauteng, South Africa. ... Swartkrans is a location in South Africa, around 20 miles from Johannesburg. ... Look up Wiktionary:Swadesh lists for Afrikaans and Dutch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Kromdraai is a protected conservancy in western Gauteng, South Africa not far from Krugersdorp. ... Look up Wiktionary:Swadesh lists for Afrikaans and Dutch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Praying Mary Stalactite and stalagmite formations in the Wonder Cave The Wonder Cave, in Kromdraai, Gauteng, South Africa, is the third-largest cave chamber in the country, and is believed to be about 1. ...

A number of early hominid remains have been found at the site over the last few decades. Genera The hominids are the members of the biological family Hominidae (the great apes), which includes humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. ...

Sterkfontein was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 and the area in which it is situated, was named the Cradle of Humankind. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Cradle of Humankind (disambiguation). ...

Modern excavation of the caves began in the late 1890s by limestone miners who noticed the fossils and brought them to the attention of scientists. It was not until 1936 that students of Professor Raymond Dart and Dr. Robert Broom from the University of the Witwatersrand began concerted excavations. The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Raymond Dart, holding the Taung Child skull Raymond Dart (February 4, 1893–22 November 1988) was an Australian anatomist and anthropologist best known for his discovery in 1924 of a fossil of Australopithecus at Taung in Northwestern South Africa. ... Image:Broom R.jpg Robert Broom Prof. ... The University of the Witwatersrand (pronounced vit-vaters-rant, with flat vowels -- see South African English) is a leading South African university situated in Johannesburg. ...

These excavations revealed many early hominids. In 1936, the Sterkfontein caves yielded the first adult Australopithecine, substantially strengthening Raymond Dart's claim that the skull known as the Taung child (Australopithecus africanus) was a human ancestor. There was a pause in excavation during World War II, but after the war Dr. Broom continued excavations. In 1947 he found the almost complete skull of an adult female Australopithecus africanus (or possibly that of an adolescent male). Broom initially named the skull Plesianthropus transvaalensis (near-man from Transvaal), but it became better known by its nickname, Mrs. Ples. Mrs. Ples is estimated to be between 2.6 and 2.8 million years old placing it in the Pliocene. In 1997 a near complete skeleton of an early hominid was found in the caves by Ronald J. Clarke; extraction of the remains from the surrounding breccia is ongoing. The skeleton was named Little Foot, since the first parts found (in 1995, in storage) were the bones of a foot; it is estimated to be 3.3 million years old. This term australopithecine refers to two very closely related hominin genera: Australopithecus Paranthropus When used alone, the term refers to both genera together. ... Binomial name Dart, 1925 Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 2-3 million years ago in the Pliocene. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... Archaeologists at Sterkfontein cave, where Mrs. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Ronald J. Clarke is an paleoanthropologist most notable for the discovery of Little Foot, an extraordinary complete skeleton of Australopithecus, in the Sterkfontein Caves. ... Breccia, derived from the Latin word for broken, is a sedimentary rock composed of angular fragments in a matrix that may be of a similar or a different material. ... Little Foot is the nickname given to an extraordinarily complete fossil hominin skeleton found in 1994-1998 in the cave system of Sterkfontein, South Africa. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

Excavations continue to this day and finds now total some 500 hominids, making Sterkfontein the richest site in the world for early hominids.

The Palaeo-Anthropology Scientific Trust (PAST), a non-profit trust fund established in 1994, sponsors over 90% of the research undertaken at Sterkfontein and was instrumental in its nomination as a World Heritage Site.

Behind this gate are the ongoing excavations of Little Foot

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 800 pixels, file size: 59 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image was copied from wikipedia:en. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 800 pixels, file size: 59 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image was copied from wikipedia:en. ... Little Foot is the nickname given to an extraordinarily complete fossil hominin skeleton found in 1994-1998 in the cave system of Sterkfontein, South Africa. ...

See also

• List of caves in South Africa

Cango Caves Blombos cave Sterkfontein Boesmansgat Sudwala Caves Wonder Cave Kromdraai List of caves Category: ...

External links

• The Sterkfontein Caves
• The Cradle of Humankind
• The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site

The underground lake in the Sterkfontein Caves. One diver has died in the lake.

A view down toward the lake in the caves.