Itjhwayo le-Palaeontology
Nagaphambi kokobana yaziwe njengeqhawe le-Palaeontological elaziwa iphasi loke, irholo le-Sterfontein gade lingaziwa, lifihleke ngaphasi kwehlabathi yeplasi le-Swartkrans edamini le-Bloukrans. Ngeskhatheso, bengeze watjela abantu bona baye esifundeneso ngombana sasinganalitho ngaphandle kwabafuyi abaleleko kanye nemidlambi yabo yenkomo elele ukudlula bona.
Kodwana izinto zatjhuguluka unompela ngombana kwatholwa irhawuda entabenezo. Ukubikwa kokuthoma okuthembekileko kokobana kunerhawuda e-Witwatersrand kwenziwa ngonyaka ka-1852 lokha i-mineralogist ye-Britain ebizwa bona ngu-John Henry Davis abika bona utholeni eplasini le-Paardekraal eyatjhugululwa (yaba yi-Krugersdorp esele ibizwa bona yi-Mogale City).
Unyaka olandelako, u-Pieter Jacob Marais wathola irhawuda emlanjeni we-Jukskei kanye ne-Crocodile river epumalanga yeJwanisbhege. Kodwana emahlandleni amabili layo athole irhawuda akhange athole irhawuda elifihleke ngaphasi kwehlabathi, ngebanga lokobana ilwazi lakade gade lithi irhawuda litholwa emilanjeni kwapphela.
Ngonyaka ka-1874, uHendry Lewis wathola irhawuda emlanjeni we-Blaaubank eduze kwalapha sekwaziwa bona se–Magaliesberg kanye ne-Nil Desperandum Co-operative Quartz Company ekwaba yikampani yokuthoma yerhawuda eyabamatasatasa e-Witwatersrand.
Kusukela ngonyaka ka-1881, kwatholakala umgodi omncani omumethe irhawuda e-Kromdraai kungakapheli iminyaka embalwa kwatlanywa i-the Kromdraai Gold Mining Company njengencenye yeplasi ebantu abangemba kiyo irhawuda.
Umgodi Oqakathekileko Werhawuda
Ngonyaka ka-1886, irhawuda eyatholwa e-Blaaubank kanye ne-Kromdraai kwakubonakala inga ayibhadeleki, ngonyaka ka-1912, ukwenjiwa kwerhawuda e-the Cradle gade sele kungasenziwa Namhlanje iimayini ze-Blaaubank kanye neye-Kromdraai zerhawuda sele zivulelwe amalunga womphakathi begodu zingavakatjhelwa.
Kodwana ukumayiniwa kwaragela phambili kwadlala indima ekulu e-the Cradle ngebanga lokobana nanyana amatje gade angakamumathi irhawuda, gade amumethe into etlhogwa mamayini amanengi we-Witwatersrand: I-lime, ezele nge-alkaline, begodu beyisetjenziselwa ukwenza isamende nokwenza ihlelo le-MacArthur-Forrest gold lapha egade inzinzisa i-cyanide acid egade isetjenziselwa ukudosa amaca werhawuda ematjeni anerhawuda we-conglomerate.
Ngetjhudu amadwala wendaweni i-the Cradle gade amuethe i-limestone egade ingatjhisiselwa ukukhiqiza i-lime ehlaza yemamayini. Lokhu kwapha indawo leyo ithuba lesibili lokobana Phumelela, begodu ngelinye ilanga ngonyaka ka-1896, umsebenzi ogade asebenza nge-lime ogade abizwa bona ngu-Guglielmo Martinaglia wavula ubungeno bendawo egade imadwalwa eyabizwa bona yi-Kromdraai.
Irholo le-Kromdraai
Eminyakeni eyadlula lapho, amadwala we-kromdraai (lada eyabizwa bona yi-Sterkfontein) namanye amadwala amanengi wendawo leyo emayiniwa akhitjhwa i-limestone. Amatje amakhulu ablastiwa akhitjhwa edwaleni atjhiswa nge-lime kilns, koniwa iinsalela ezinengi nakwenziwa njalo. I-goelogist u-David Draper wagcina sele asijamisa isenzwesi ngokubika bona amadwala we-Kromdraai gade kungewekareko le-goelogy begodu kufanele bona avikelwe ebantwini abamayinako.
Ngetjhudu kukhona owamlalelako avikeleka ngobunjalo ke amadwala la. Nanyana kunjalo ukumayiniwa kwaragela phambili kwezinye iindawo eminyaka eyalandela lapho. Namhlanje, lokha nawukweriyela amadwala layo, uzokubona ama-stalactites amabalwa onowa babantu bakade egade bamayina i-limestone emadwalenapho.
Indawo Yokwemba Engasisemthethweni
Nanyana ukumayina kwaragela phambili, banti gade sele bathome ukuthlohomela i-fossil egade iphuma emadwaleni begodu umnikazi wendawo leyo u-Mr Cooper wavula ikumba yetiye encani lapha gade athengisa khona ama-crumpets, guano kanye ne-fossil athengisela abantu egade bakweriyile. Ngonyaka ka-1935, u-Trevor Jones wathola iinsalela/-fossil ezikarisako zefene emadwalenapho okwenza bona u-GWH Scheepers kanye no-H le Riche babe nekareko bazisa umfuni wensalela ogade aziwa khulu u-Robert Broom.
Lokha u-Broom nakakweriyela amadwala lao ngonyaka ka-1936, wabona msinya igugu le-Palaeontology elilethwa madwala layo wabawa umphathi wegwarelo ukobana amqalele iinsalela/-fossil ezinye ezikarisako.
Lokhu kwarholela ekutholweni kwensalela eziqakathekileko ezimbalwa, ngonyaka ka-1947, kwatholwa iinsalela zeKosikazi u-Mrs Ples. Kodwana, nangaphandle kwenomboro enengi yensalela egade zinganagugu azatholwa endaweni leyo i-Sterkfontein gade isese yendawo yokwemba izinto nge-archaelogy, ukufa kwaka-Robert Broom ngonyaka ka-1951 kweletha imiraro rholweni.
Ngeskhatheso, gade kungekho ukusekelwa ngokwemmali begodu urhulumende weskhatheso gade atjengisa ukungabi nekareko ekwenzeni lokho. Ngonobangela loyo irholo laliswa ukwenjiwa. Kwabakulinga kwaka Philip Tobias weJunivesithi ye-Witwatersrand owenza bona amadwala angavalwa, begodu ngonyaka ka-1966 umndeni kaStegmann, wadoneyitha amadwala lawo wawapha iJunivesithi ye-Witwatersrand ukobana baragele phambili bayisebenzise.
Indawo Enensalela Zakade Zephasini erege Khulu
Ijunivesithi ye-Wits, esesemphathi wamadwala layo namhlanje, yavula imnyuziyami yaqatjha u-Alun Hughes kobana abe yinduna yaso (walandelwa ngu-Ron Clarke ngonyaka ka-1992). Kulapho wathoma ke, umsebenzi wokwemba ngehlelo le-archaeology. Ukufikela nje i-Sterkfontein sele sikhiqize iinsalela ezidlula eziyi-700 ezandleni ze-Palaeo-anthropologists okwenza bona kube lirhole elikhamba phambili ephasini elinensalela zabantu nezinye izinto zakade zephasini.
Namhlanje iinsalela ezitholwe ngu-Broom kanye no-Robinson zibekwe e-Broom and Robinson e-Transvaal Museum, lokha ezitholwe ngu-Tobias, Hughes and Clarke zibekwe e-Wits. Kufiswa bona inga zingabuyiselwa emadwaleni we-Sterkfontein lapha zingabekwa khona zivikeleke zibekwe njengomqaliso ozokubukelwa babantu nabakweriyele amarholo layo.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana