Northern Cape

Below Dating of material recovered during excavations of Wonderwerk Cave has identified evidence of early human occupation and early use of fire.

World Archaeology
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Early human activity at Wonderwerk Cave

The site, which was first excavated in the 1940s, has a unique stratigraphic record containing evidence of human activity from the Early Stone Age to the present day.

Ron Shaar taking samples for paleomagnestisim courtesy of Michael Chazan and the Wonderwerk excavation team

The Past

Dating techniques identify possible earliest evidence for cave occupation

Wonderwerk Cave was first excavated in the 1940s. Its archaeological stratigraphy comprises evidence of human activity spanning from the Early Stone Age in South Africa to the present day.