Wonderwerk Cave
From Underfoot
Wonderwerk Cave is an archaeological site, formed originally as an ancient solution cavity in dolomite rocks of the Kuruman Hills, situated between Danielskuil and Kuruman in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It is a National Heritage Site, managed as a satellite of the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. Geologically, hillside erosion exposed the northern end of the cavity, which extends horizontally for about 140 m (460 ft) into the base of a hill. Accumulated deposits inside the cave, up to 7 m (23 ft) in-depth, reflect natural sedimentation processes such as water and wind deposition as well as the activities of animals, birds, and human ancestors over some 2 million years. The site has been studied and excavated by archaeologists since the 1940s and research here generates important insights into human history in the subcontinent of Southern Africa. Evidence within Wonderwerk cave has been called the oldest controlled fire. Wonderwerk means "miracle" in the Afrikaans language.
- Faunal Remains from Holocene Deposits, Excavation 1, Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa - scientific article, 2015
- Microstratigraphic evidence of in situ fire in the Acheulean strata of Wonderwerk Cave, Northern Cape province, South Africa - scientific article (publication date: 15 May 2012), Q1860
- Palynology of Holocene Deposits in Excavation 1 at Wonderwerk Cave, Northern Cape (South Africa) - scientific article, 2015
- Pleistocene Micromammals and Their Predators at Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa - scientific article published in December 2015
- Isotopic analysis of equid teeth from Wonderwerk Cave, northern Cape Province, South Africa - scientific article, 1992
- Dated rock engravings from wonderwerk cave, South Africa - scientific article, Q1860, 1981
- Renewed excavations at Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa - scientific article published in November 2017, Q1860
- The Oldowan horizon in Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa): archaeological, geological, paleontological and paleoclimatic evidence - scientific article published on 3 November 2012
- Radiometric dating of the Earlier Stone Age sequence in excavation I at Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa: preliminary results - scientific article, Q1860, 2008
- Taphonomy of burnt bones from Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa) - scientific article published in November 2018
- Past and Present at Wonderwerk Cave (Northern Cape Province, South Africa) - article, Q1860, 2015
- Milestones in the development of symbolic behaviour: a case study from Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa - article, 2009
| Type | Subtype | Date | Description | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| site | cave | Wonderwerk Cave | archaeological site, cave | Wikidata | |
| site | cave | Wonderwerkgrot | cave | Wikidata | |
