4 Facts about the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site
From the 'bear-dog' at Gladysvale Cave to Mrs Ples and Little Foot, the Cradle of Humankind is home to many fascinating discoveries.
Traces of early humans have been found in our backyard, but how much do you know about the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa.
The Cradle of Humankind was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, making it a place of "outstanding universal value".
Maropeng, which means “returning to the place of origin” in Setswana, is the official visitor centre of the paleoanthropological site.
Why is it called the cradle of humankind?
The Cradle of Humankind "showcases compelling evidence of humanity's African origins". According to UNESCO, discoveries made at fossil hominid sites in South Africa prove "conclusively that the African continent is the undisputed Cradle of Humankind".
1. Biggest single-species fossil discovery
Homo Naledi is the largest collection of fossils from a single human ancestor found in Africa. The discovery of a new human ancestor was announced in 2015. Two expeditions, consisting of 50-60 scientists, uncovered 1, 550 numbered fossil elements.
"The elements were initially discovered in 2013 in a cave in the Cradle of Humankind Maropeng in Gauteng, South Africa and represented at least 15 individuals ranging in age and possibly representing both male and female," Jacaranda FM Newswatch reported.
#Maropeng Berger reveals the new fossil named homo naledi pic.twitter.com/1C9psuowyf
— Jacaranda FM Newswatch (@JacaNewswatch) September 10, 2015
2. Fascinating Discoveries
The Cradle of Humankind is home to discoveries such as Mrs Ples and Little Foot. Mrs Ples is the nickname given to the 'almost-perfect' skull found at the Sterkfontein Caves. She is believed to be over two million years old.
Little Foot was also found in the Sterkfontein Caves. The Australopithecus fossil skeleton was discovered in the 90s. According to a 2026 report in The Conversation, it is the most complete Australopithecus skeleton ever discovered.
Little Foot gets a virtual facelift
— Wits University (@WitsUniversity) March 26, 2026
A new digital reconstruction of Little Foot, the 3.67-million-year-old Australopithecus fossil, reveals unexpected similarities with Ethiopian specimens, offering fresh insight into the diversity and evolution of the hominin face across Africa… pic.twitter.com/lGEYPUyCgC
3. The 'bear-dog' at Gladysvale Cave
Ancient 'Bear-dogs', formally known as amphicyonidae, are thought to have roamed Southern Africa, Asia, Europe and North America millions of years ago
They look just like their name suggests - the shape of a dog with the size and strength of a bear. Despite the description, the animal did not belong to any dog or bear species.
The skeleton of a bear-dog was found at the Gladysvale Cave, according to SA History Online.
4. Richest hominin site in the world
The Cradle of Humankind is the world's richest site for hominin fossils. Around 40% of all known human ancestor fossils are found at the site.
"Dozens of sites have been excavated in this region, yielding evidence from at least five hominin ancestors and cousins; from the ape-like Australopiths, to the older members of our own genus, Homo," SouthAfrica.net states.
"Dozens more have been identified, yet remain untouched by researchers for the time being. The Cradle has also yielded the remains of cousins to the Australopiths, Paranthropus robustus: an ape-like hominin with large teeth and chewing muscles for eating hard, fibrous foods."
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