Sterkfontein, Archaeological site in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
Sterkfontein is a cave system with several limestone chambers and underground lakes in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The passages extend through different geological layers and form a branching network inside the rock.
Researchers discovered the first complete adult Australopithecus skull here in 1936, bringing new insights into human evolution. The site has since yielded evidence of early hominid development from about three million years ago.
The name is Afrikaans for "strong spring", after the water source at the site. The caves lie in the Cradle of Humankind, and the archaeological museum at the entrance is named after Dr Robert Broom, who found the skull nicknamed Mrs Ples in 1947. Excavations that began with miners in the 1890s continue today.
Guided tours through the cave system run every thirty minutes and provide access to the lit chambers and underground areas. The Broom Museum next to the entrance displays fossils and finds from the excavations.
The cave holds more than five hundred hominid fossils, including the well-known specimen Mrs Ples. One of the largest chambers, called the Hall of Elephants, reaches a height of about 23 meters (75 feet) and a width of about 91 meters (300 feet).
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,943 contributors worldwide.
