Commonly referred to as the cradle of mankind, this steep sided ravine is located in the Great Rift Valley East of Serengeti plains and measures 30 miles long and 295 ft deep. It is one of the most significant prehistoric sites in the world especially due to the aid in furthering the understanding the theory of human evolution.
Discovered by a German entomologist named (Wilhelm) Kattwinkel who accidentally stumbled upon the gorge during one of his expeditions, the gorge comprises of an erosion-created rift with layer after layer of fossils, bones and ancient artifacts.
Excavation work at this anthropologist’s paradise was pioneered in 1931 by Louis and Mary leaky with other anthropologists carrying on the work into the 21st century.
To this day studies have shown that millions of years ago the site where the gorge lies was once a large lake with volcanic ash covered shores however due to seismic activity the nearby streams were diverted cutting down into the sediments revealing 7 main layers in the walls of the gorge.
