 Oldupai
Gorge: Amazing landscape and more
By: Elisha Mayallah
So much has been said and written about Olduvai Gorge. The Leakey's and their
son Richard, from the 1930's to late 1960's, were responsible for the Olduvai
Gorge's most dramatic discoveries.
Important archaeological finds had already been made here in 1911, which
included the skull that dated back to some 1.7 million years ago and excavations
of the 3.5 million year old animal and early hominid footprints at Laetoli,
casts of which can be seen at the visitor centre, just south of the Olduvai
Gorge.
At the southern end of the Serengeti Plain, Oldupai is just 50 minutes' drive
from the Ngorongoro Crater and harbours plentiful wildlife as well, including
giraffes, elephants, antelopes, hyenas, and more. Ngorongoro and Serengeti were
formerly Maasai lands until when they were asked to leave the Serengeti and
settle partly in Ngorongoro. Some were resettled out of Ngorongoro.
Because Oldupai's record is so rich, the stakes are high and, indeed, with its
wide publicity the gorge was, all these years, mistakenly known as Olduvai
Gorge. The name was derived from early European miss-spelling of "Oldupai" the
Maasai name for the plants that grow in that area.
Some few weeks ago it went on record that the gorge will from now on be known as
Oldupai Gorge. I had previously paid several visits to the gorge and each time I
had been welcomed by Mr. Ole Mouita, one of the officials at the site. On
several discussions he categorically said there was no word in the Maasai
language with the word 'Olduvai' but Oldupai.
The gorge has amazing landscape that resulted from the tectonic forces which
created the Great Rift Valley million of years ago. Long ago the area was
covered by ancient salt lake which vanished and leaving salt deposits exposed in
its walls until today.
The steep-sided gorge is nearly 90 meters high and its extension is 50
kilometres long. The importance of this area lies on the uncovered
archaeological remains; fossils remain, including the bones of early hominids,
stone tools, marks and a building site. Other sites within the area are Laetoli
site, Lake Ndutu Sites, and Nasera Rock Shelter. Apart from Oldupai Gorge, which
reminds us of the origin of humankind, there are also the ruins of the ancient
city, which are marked by stone terrace and the complex irrigation system at
Engaruka.
The gorge was formed by the same tectonic upheavals that shaped the Great
African Rift Valley , over 5 million years ago that here at Oldupai, have
produced a stunning landscape of red rock, cut and plain.
It is, therefore, goes down in the history to suggest that Leakey family all
lovers of nature found our modern understanding of human in this rugged gorge,
where faulting and erosion have laid bare 100 meters of sediment spanning 2
million years. Now, however, the erosion that led to the Leakeys' brilliant
discoveries threatens to destroy the remaining record of hominid prehistory.
Today, the Oldupai Gorge makes for a stunning visit and there is a small museum
packed with information about the archaeological treasures found here.
E-mail contact: ermayallah@yahoo.com
|
