20 September 2005
September 24 is Heritage Day in South Africa, and according to the Department of Science and Technology, we have three billion years of heritage to celebrate.
"South Africa is the only country in the world with the oldest evidence of life on Earth, the oldest animals, the most primitive land-living plants, the most distant ancestors of dinosaurs, the most complete record of the more than 80-million year ancestry of mammals, a remarkable record of human origins, and so the list goes on," says the department's Tshepo Seekoe.
"For example, we have some 15 000 documented rock art sites in South Africa, compared to about 300 in Europe. International researchers regularly refer to South African rock art studies for guidance and often adopt our methods of analysis."
Activities for the month include field trips to fossil parks, World Heritage Sites and museums, public lectures and open days at research institutions.
South Africa is home to seven World Heritage sites, places determined by Unesco's World Heritage Committee to be of "outstanding value to humanity".
The Cradle of Humankind, north of Johannesburg, is one of the world's most important archeological sites. More than 40% of all human ancestor fossil finds have been made here, including the almost-complete, four-million-year-old skeleton, Little Foot.
Earlier in September, the new visitor centre at the Cradle of Humankind was renamed Maropeng, a Setswana word meaning "the place where we once lived".
SouthAfrica.info reporter
African Origins Month aims to remind South Africans of their rich fossil, cultural and genetic heritage - and to excite learners about following careers in the sciences, a growth sector in South Africa.
