Olorgesailie, Archaeological site in Great Rift Valley, Kenya
Olorgesailie is an archaeological site in the Great Rift Valley, situated on sedimentary ground between extinct volcanoes where countless stone tools and animal bones from prehistoric times have been found. The excavation area spreads across multiple zones where visitors can walk through dig sites and view displayed discoveries.
The site was discovered in 1919 by geologist John Gregory and holds stone tools spanning from roughly 1.2 million to 490,000 years ago. These tool cultures demonstrate how early human technology evolved and changed across hundreds of thousands of years.
The name comes from the surrounding grassland, and it represents a vital connection to how early humans lived in this landscape. Visitors can observe how the excavated areas and displays tell the story of ancient settlement and daily survival in the region.
The location lies roughly 67 kilometers southwest of Nairobi along the Lake Magadi road and is reachable by car. Guided walks help visitors understand the excavation areas and view the collections displayed in the museum buildings.
A remarkable find from 2003 was a skull bone from an early human, showing that not only tools but also human remains were preserved at this location. This discovery makes the site one of the few places where both types of evidence for early human settlement can be found.
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