"A museum in Africa for the people of the world"
Origins Centre
World-class facility located on the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) campus as part of the Archaeology Department. A tour through the story of the emergence of human beings and humanity in Southern Africa. Ex-President Thabo Mbeki acknowledged that for the first time in South Africa, archaeology can be appreciated by the public in a practical manner.
The tour through the first section of the origins centre showcases the origins of Homo sapiens in Africa and the movement of humankind into all areas of the world. There are displays of tools made by early man as well as moulds of the skeletal features of hominid species.
The second section of the museum covers the evolution of art, symbolism, technology and language in Africa. Exhibitions, film, holograms, and touch screens accompanied by narratives bring to life the heritage of people the San (Bushman), whose genetic DNA print has been linked to the early Homo sapiens (160 000 years ago). Their rock art, ancient tools, belief systems and dances, including the intensely spiritual Great Dance are explored.
The final exhibit at the museum demonstrates how genetic testing contributes to our understanding of human evolution.
Origins Centre
Understanding the development of humanity in South Africa and the World
Boasts an extensive collection of rock art from the Wits Art Research Institute. You can see the earliest image made by man, which was found here in South Africa. The second phase of the museum will focus on the fossil discovered in South Africa and the contribution these fossils have made to understanding the development of humanity.
The displays will centre on the country's four billion-year-old fossil record, the oldest evidence of life on earth. The average museum experience lasts from between 90 minutes to 2 hours, but for the enthusiast, there is a wealth of extra multi-media material on Africa's past. Audio guides come with the price of admission and are available in six languages - Zulu, Sotho, English, Afrikaans, French and German.
Daily Origins Centre tours available - 7 days a week.
South Africa's rich and complex past with visitors being taken through an extraordinary tour aided by cutting-edge technology and creative vision by South Africa's foremost artists.
James Kitching Paleontology Museum
Fossils from the Karoo and the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa
A small museum of paleontology on the East Campus of the University of the Witwatersrand (short walk from the origins centre). The museum boasts "wall-to-wall” - missing links, featuring a model of the Taung skull and several almost complete skeletons. Fossils come mostly from South Africa, in particular, Karoo and the Cradle of Humankind.
The Origins Centre Museum's motto: "We are who we are because of who we were"
Perfect tours to include with the Origins Centre to create a full day tour:
Gold Reef City - Soweto - Johannesburg - Constitution Hill - Cradle of Humankind
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For further information on Origins Centre Tour please Contact Ekala Eco Tours. We look forward to hearing from you - info@ekalatours.com.