| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
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 Interactive map of Swartkrans | |
| Location | Gauteng,South Africa |
| Part of | Sterkfontein, Swartkrans,Kromdraai, and Environs part ofFossil Hominid Sites of South Africa |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iii)(vi) |
| Reference | 915bis-001 |
| Inscription | 1999 (23rdSession) |
| Extensions | 2005 |
| Coordinates | 25°55′45″S27°47′20″E / 25.92917°S 27.78889°E /-25.92917; 27.78889 |
  Swartkrans Location of Swartkrans in Gauteng  Swartkrans Swartkrans (South Africa) Show map of South Africa | |
Swartkrans orSwartkranz is a fossil-bearing cave designated as aSouth African National Heritage Site, located about 32 km (20 mi) fromJohannesburg.[1] It is located in theCradle of HumankindWorld Heritage Site and is notable for being extremely rich in archaeological material, particularlyhominin remains.[2] Fossils discovered in thelimestone of Swartkrans includeHomo ergaster (a variety ofHomo erectus),Paranthropus andHomo habilis. The oldest deposits present at the site are believed to be between 1.9 and 2.1 million years old.[3]
Noted paleontologistRobert Broom was a frequent digger. He was followed byC. K. 'Bob' Brain, whose excavations at the site inspired his bookThe Hunters or the Hunted? in which he demonstrated that instead of being bloodthirsty killer apes, the hominin fossils found at the site were themselves victims of predation bybig cats.[4] Originally, it was believed thatDinofelis was responsible for such killings, though recent evidence suggests that hominids were likely the victims ofMegantereon orleopards based on carbon isotope ratios taken from each predator.[5]
Swartkrans is located on the Blaauwbank River in the Cradle of Humankind, which has a long record of some of the oldest hominin remain discoveries in the world. It is located 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) fromSterkfontein, a site that has yielded similar discoveries of the same era.[2] The private farmland the cave was originally on was purchased by theUniversity of the Witwatersrand in 1968.[4]: 221
The cave was discovered in 1948, and initial excavations were carried out by paleontologistRobert Broom. His team uncovered several remains ofParanthropus robustus and earlyHomo species. It was the first site at which bothParanthropus andHomo had been found together, indicating that they were contemporary.[3]
Excavation then halted until the mid-1960s and continued until the 1980s, whenC. K. Brain brought a team to Swartkrans. Thousands of artifacts and faunal remains were uncovered, 415 of which are considered to be hominin. Brain expanded upon the site's stratigraphy, which was more complex than previously thought.[3]
Some of the earliest evidence ofcontrolled use of fire by humans can be found at Swartkrans, up to 1.5 million years ago.[6][7]
In addition, some of the earliest evidence of modified bone tools has also been found at Swartkrans and Sterkfontein, with the oldest at Swartkrans dating to about 1.8 million years ago. These tools may have been made byAustralopithecus robustus or an early species ofHomo, which both inhabited the cave around the same time.[8]
These early tools were first speculated to have been used to dig uptubers, but they may instead have been used to harvest termites, which were present during Swartkrans's occupation; many of these tools may have been multipurpose. Re-evaluation of wear on stone and bone tools uncovered by Brain in earlier excavations and experiments by researchers have led to the conclusion that termites, a high source of nutrients, were a supplementary food source for early hominids. Bone tools would have allowed for easier extraction of the insects than stones would have.[2][8]
In 2016, the discovery of the earliest known evidence ofcancer in hominins was announced. Anosteosarcoma was found on a partialleft fifth metatarsal from an unclassified hominin.[3]
Swartkrans is alimestone cave and has been divided geologically into fivemembers. Member 1 consists of two large masses, named the Hanging Remnant and Lower Bank.Homo ergaster andParanthropus robustus remains have been found in Member 1, and Member 2 has yielded the same genera.[3]
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