Science & Nature Tour Notes

Olduvai Gorge

Olduvai Gorge, called the "cradle of mankind", is probably the most important anthropological site in the world. It's a 30-mile long ravine in the eastern Serengeti Plains and within the boundaries of the Nogorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania. The gorge forms part of the Great Rift Valley.

The ravine is 295 feet deep, and deposits exposed on the sides cover a time span from approximately 2.1 million years ago to approximately 15,000 years ago. The name Olduvai originated in a European misspelling of Oldupai, the correct Masai word for the ravine. In turn, the word "oldupai" is the name of a wild sisal plant abundant in the gorge.

The fossil remains of more than 50 hominids have been found in the gorge, these finds providing the most continuous known record of ancient humanity during the past 2 million years. In addition, the gorge has provided the longest known archeological record of the development of the stone-tool industries of ancient man.

In the early 20th century, the anthropologist Louis Leakey uncovered in the gorge some of the earliest hominid fossils. Leakey was born in Kenya, the son of Anglican missionary parents, and he spent much of his youth among Kikuyu children. After obtaining a degree in anthropology from Cambridge University, he returned to Africa.

In 1959, Mary Leakey, wife of Louis Leakey, discovered the fossilized footprints of a hominid who had walked along a riverbank 3 million years ago. Since then, anthropologists working in Olduvai have unearthed skeletal remains of a number of important ancient hominids: Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Australopithecus boisei. In 1972, Richard Leakey, son of Louis and Mary Leakey, discovered the "Turkana boy", a Homo habilis fossil dated at 1.9 million years ago.

The site is 180 kilometers from the Tanzanian town of Arusha. From Arusha, it's a four-hour drive or a 1-hour airplane flight to the gorge.

The site has a museum where visitors can attend lectures and view visuals about the discoveries made in the region.

For those who want a hands-on visit that includes camping, there are local programs available for assisting working anthropologists in their digs.

Although Olduvai is primarily for anthropology buffs, since you're already on the Serengeti plain, you will certainly want to take advantage of that and spend some time viewing one of the most phenomenal large-animal habitats on Earth. The two together, Olduvai and Serengeti, provide a magnificent science and nature experience. Bon voyage!