Dinkgwaneng

About Dinkgwaneng

The Dinkgwaneng Site is one of the archaeological and historical gems of the Bophirima area. This, in turn, is part of the North West Province of South Africa, where awesome geological formations, natural wonders and a prehistoric history meet with culture and heritage to make for a fabulous tourist destination.

The Dinkgwaneng site forms part of a greater area that is renowned for the fossils found here. These are significant as they establish, at least in the minds of many scientists and researchers around the world, that Africa is the original Cradle of Humankind; the birthplace of the entire human race. It is at Dinkgwaneng that engravings can be found in the rock faces, remnants of the artwork left by the ancient San tribes when they occupied the land in times past. These ones were hunter-gatherers, and they lived a simple life that meant surviving on the produce of the land.

Such artwork tells visitors much about the life that the San led, and are valuable for having stood the test of time and erosion to delight modern-day onlookers. Being situated along the Cokonyane River means particularly pretty vistas too.

Dinkgwaneng is about 20 kilometres from Taung, which is one of the most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in terms of its archaeological value. It is here that the skull of a young child was found. It has been dated at around 2.5 million years old. The child is believed to have been killed by a prehistoric bird of prey. This is also near the Manthe Village.