The Olduvai Gorge, sometimes referred to as "The Cradle of Mankind" is a steep ravine located in the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania, East Africa about 30 miles long and 295 feet deep. This was the site made famous by the discoveries of Australopithecus boisei, a 1.8 million year old fossil hominid discovered by Mary and Louis Leakey. This gorge is considered one of the most important prehistoric sites of the world, and contains a number of significant fossil sites, settlement remains, and artifacts. Olduvai Gorge, named after the Maasai word for the wild sisal plant commonly called Oldupaai, was once a large lake area.

Nearby, it is possible to view the exacavations at the Oludvai museum. Additional to fossils, there are three species of endemic birds - the red-cheeked cordon bleu, the purple greandier, and the red and yellow barbet.

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Located between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.

Last edited on Jul 10, 07 2:22 PM.
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Red H.

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Red H.

Oct 11, 2008

The Gorge is an interesting side trip for those heading to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. It is worth visiting the museum to read about the history of this area and discovery of fossils by the Leakey's, but you don't get to 'see' much. Tourists are only able to look down into the valley from a viewing area and the famous early man footprints have been covered over for future peservation. Nice spot for a little quiet contemplation, trying to imagine what it would have been like 2.5 million years ago for the first humans who lived here!

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