Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves

 
The Cradle of Humankind is one of seven World Heritage Sites in South Africa, and the only one in Gauteng. It is widely recognised as the place from which all of humankind originated.
 
The 47,000 hectare site has unearthed the best evidence of the complex journey which our species has taken to make us what we are – a place of pilgrimage for all humankind. It is not only a place of ongoing scientific discovery into our origins, but also a place of contemplation – a place that allows us to reflect on who we are, where we come from and where we are going to.
 
The Gauteng Provincial Government is the designated Management Authority responsible for developing and protecting this extraordinary site for posterity. There are 13 excavated sites which have been identified within the area. These have already been internationally-recognised in the World Heritage Site listing, and have now individually been declared as national heritage sites by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). The careful management of these unique sites is a clear priority if the site is to be preserved and sustainably utilised.
 
The world-renowned Sterkfontein Caves is home to the oldest and most continuous paleaontological dig in the world. It is also the site of discovery of the famous pre-human skull affectionately known as "Mrs Ples", and an almost complete hominid skeleton called "Little Foot", dated 2.3 and 4.17 million years old respectively. No one knows what still lies hidden in the rocks of the Sterkfontein Caves and other sites. The World Heritage Site status the area now enjoys ensures that what is deep within its core will be protected and explored forever.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a grand, grand lie. All this 'pomp and circumstance' around a lie. Humans did not evolve from ape-like ancestors and southern Africa is not our 'cradle'. This is in direct, blatant and unashamed opposition to the Bible, which in my opinion is supreme, accurate and infallable HISTORY and in which is stated that mankind was made by God Himself, in His Own image only around 6500 years ago in a very different pre-global-flooded earth. Noah's Flood, which was GLOBAL, accounts for our incredible fossil record.
Unfortunately for Sterkfontein tourism, creationist AND EVOLUTIONISTS the world over have recently found that the Sterkfontein findings are now to be seriously questioned. 'Mrs Ples' and 'Little Foot' have been abandoned by leading scientists as evidence of evolution. Quote 1: 'As indicated earlier, afarensis (Mrs Ples) was a knuckle-walking ape built for an arboreal lifestyle, although it may have had a limited ability to walk bipedally in a non-human-like manner, as did apes unrelated to any supposed hominid'. Quote 2: 'The common reconstructions showing human-like hands and feet are now known to be wrong—they had long, curved fingers and brachiating arms, ideal for a tree-dwelling lifestyle, not walking upright like the textbooks push.' Quote 3: If one heeded the government’s propaganda, the overseas ‘movers and shakers’ in this evolutionary field should be in awe of these specimens and their significance. However, in reading evolutionary paleoanthropological speculations, these specimens rarely feature.' Quote 4: 'I was amazed to see the degree of ‘hype’ surrounding this area and its skeletal remains. It was clear that there was an undisguised political ‘push’ behind it. Seeing South Africa as the place where man evolved would both put the region on the tourist map and enhance national pride.' I hope these quotes prove that there are very different views on this subject than what meets the eye. Also, I hope this pricks your suspicions about what you have been brainwashed with! I would like to challenge everyone who reads this comment to serious reconsider evolution, especially in light of God's Word, and to do a serious study into our real origins. But don't be biased: make sure you give equal attention and thought to both views. I once believed evolution, but have now found it to be a great fabrication entirely based on ASSUMPTIONS and LIES, but that have been promoted as 'fact/truth'. Unfortunately most people are brainwashed and take it all in without QUESTIONING its validity. So, take up this challenge and get cracking! I'd encourage you to visit www.creationontheweb.com or www.answersingenesis.org for a wonderfully different view. And if you're a Christian, you better be comparing your findings with God's Word.