OLDUVAI GORGE - Tanzania Safaris Trips

Olduvai Gorge visit

Immerse yourself in ancient history at the fascinating palaeoanthropological site of Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important in the world. Set between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park, the gorge makes a good stop if you’re travelling between the two, rewarding visitors with a presentation on its history, an excellent new museum, and beautiful views – as well as the possibility of visiting an active dig.

History of findings in the gorge

Olduvai Gorge was made famous by paleoanthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey, who conducted numerous digs here in the mid 20th century. It is globally renowned for the early hominin fossils discovered here, most notably ‘Nutcracker Man’, a new species of hominin that was later classified as Paranthropus boisei. Sites at Olduvai Gorge have also yielded a vast quantity of stone tools, plant and mammal fossils, and the area remains important for research.

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Experience the Olduvai Gorge

A visit to the Olduvai Gorge focuses on the smart new museum, opened in October 2017 and overlooking the gorge. Whilst here you will also have a chance to listen to a short presentation by a resident guide.

Explore the different sections of the museum to discover the history of the site and learn about the various fossils to be found here. See a replica of the nearby Laetoli Footprints, which provide some of the earliest evidence of bipedalism;

learn about the hominines and prehistoric mammals that lived in the area; and chat with a resident expert about the significance of the area as well as the current research. We found that it takes around an hour to explore the museum, but there is no time limit and you can spend as much time looking around as you wish.

For a small tip of around $10 USD you can drive down in to the gorge itself and visit the sites where Mary and Louis Leakey discovered early hominin remains. This is around a ten-minute drive, and you would typically spend no more than 20 minutes here. You’ll go with a member of staff, not a guide, but there is an information board at the site.

It is also sometimes possible to visit active dig sites, as Olduvai Gorge is the focus of a number of ongoing studies. Teams of researchers typically visit in the dry season, between June and October, so you may be able to chat to the scientists involved and hear about the latest findings to come out of the gorge.

A 30-minute drive from Olduvai you can find a curious phenomena, a shifting sand dune. This dune is formed from fine volcanic ash, which due to its high iron content is highly magnetic. This means that the dune clings together, and acts as a single unit as it slowly moves across the landscape.

Researchers have tracked the movement of the dune over time, finding it that it moves around 10m a year, blown by the prevailing wind.

Spend anything from an hour here, depending on how long you want to spend in the museum.

Key Discoveries and Contributions

Olduvai Gorge has yielded a wealth of discoveries that have profoundly impacted the field of paleoanthropology. These include:

Stone Tools: Some of the earliest evidence of tool use comes from Olduvai. These tools, primarily associated with Homo habilis, mark the beginning of the Oldowan industry, characterized by simple but effective chipped stone implements. This innovation represents a crucial step in human cognitive and technological evolution.
Homo habilis and Homo erectus Fossils: Fossils of Homo habilis, dating back approximately 1.9 million years, were first discovered in Olduvai, earning the species its nickname, “Handy Man.” Fossils of Homo erectus, an ancestor with a more advanced toolkit and a larger brain, have also been found, illustrating a continuum of evolutionary progress.
Animal Fossils: In addition to hominin remains, Olduvai Gorge has yielded fossils of various animals, including extinct species of elephants, giraffes, and antelopes. These findings provide insights into the ecosystems inhabited by early humans and their interactions with other species.
Footprints at Laetoli: Though technically located near Olduvai, the Laetoli footprints are often associated with the site due to their shared significance in understanding early human locomotion. These 3.6-million-year-old footprints, attributed to Australopithecus afarensis, are among the oldest evidence of bipedalism.

Olduvai in Modern Research

Olduvai Gorge continues to be a focal point for research and discovery. Advances in technology, such as radiometric dating and DNA analysis, have allowed scientists to glean even more information from the site. Ongoing excavations and studies aim to address unresolved questions about the timeline of human evolution, migration patterns, and the development of culture and technology.

Moreover, Olduvai Gorge has become an educational and tourist attraction, with institutions like the Olduvai Gorge Museum showcasing its history and findings. Efforts to preserve the site ensure that it remains a valuable resource for future generations of researchers.

Conclusion

Olduvai Gorge stands as a testament to the complexity and richness of human evolution. Its wealth of fossils and artifacts has provided unparalleled insights into the lives of our early ancestors, from their physical development to their technological ingenuity. As a cradle of humanity, it continues to inspire curiosity and deepen our understanding of where we come from. For scientists, historians, and laypeople alike, Olduvai Gorge is not just a window into the past—it is a mirror reflecting the shared heritage of all humankind.