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CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
GLADYSVALE

GLADYSVALE 
Gladysvale is located 14km north-east of Sterkfontein in the John Nash Nature Reserve and includes three underground caves and a considerable volume of breccia.

It was mined for phosphate found in bat guano in the early part of .the century. The first finds of fossil animals were made in 1936 by Dr Robert Broom. Further discoveries were made by the University of California African Expedition in 1948. New investigations were then started by Dr Andre Keyser 1988 and were continued by Dr Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand !n 1991. The University of Zurich is also 
participating in the dig.

Gladysvale preserves one of the most extensive time sequences of any cave in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. with sediments dating from over 3.0 million years to around 250 years ago.

Apart from a few hominid specimens, including two ape-man teeth, the site has yielded the skeleton of a wolf, the skull of a giant hyena and some plant remains.

Gladysvale contains a deep, many layered cave deposit, so a sequence of fossils may be expected.


HAASGAT

The site is situated about 5 km from the Hartbeeshoek-Broederstroom road. Early lime mining removed a basal ftowstone from the cave, causing part of the roof to collapse. The collapsed blocks of breccia have yielded a significant faunal sample, although the bone concentration is not particularly high.

No hominids have been found thus far. Discoveries in this site include early forest-dwelling monkeys, which indicates that the deposits may be around 1.3 million years old.

These deposits were excavated by Dr Andre Keyser from the University of Witwatersrand.

GONDOLIN 

Gondolin is located 3.2 km south-west of Broederstroom village. Unlike all the above- mentioned sites, which are located in the Gauteng Province, Gondolin falls within the North West Province.

Dr Elisabeth Vrba carried out excavations at this site in 1979 and recovered about 
90 000 fossil specimens. Dr Kevin Kuykendall, Mr Colin Menter. Dr Andre Keyser and Mr Darryl Deruyter of the University of the Witwatersrand recently worked there and discovered two teeth of a very robust Paranthropus (Australopithecus) robustus. The identified fossils from this site suggest an age of about 1.2- 1.3 m.y.a.

CONTACT DETAILS
At present only the Sterkfontein Caves and the Wonder Cave are open to the public:

Sterkfontein Caves +27 (11) 956-6342 
Wonder Cave -+27 (II) 957-0106

For more information about the sites and various research projects: .Archaeological Resource Development Project (WITS) +27(11) 717-6053

SterkfonteinResearchUnit (WITS) +27(11)717-2516

.Palaeo-anthropological Unit for Research and Exploration +27 (11) 339-7202 Transvaal Museum (Northern Flagship Institute) +27 (12) 322-7632

.Palaeo-Anthropological Scientific Trust +27 (11) 717 -2112