Swartkrans

Categories: South Africa geography stubs | African archaeology | Archaeological sites | World Heritage Sites in South Africa

Swartkrans is a location in South Africa, around 20 miles from Johannesburg.

It is a farm near to Sterkfontein, but is notable for being extremely rich in archaeological material, particularly hominids. It was purchased by the University of the Witwatersrand in 1968.

Fossils discovered in the limestone of Swartkrans include Telanthropus capensis (a variety of Homo erectus), and Paranthropus. Noted paleontologist Robert Broom was a frequent digger.

Swartkrans is part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. Use of fire at Swartkrans has been dated to up to 1 million years BP, and is believed to be the second oldest evidence of fire use known in the world.

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