Ukubumbeka kwe Miqolomba eCradle of Humankind

Dynamics zeMiqolomba

©Roger de la Harpe
Ummandla wonke we Cradle of Humankind ugcwele ziintanda, kwaye ezi ntanda zizo ezabangela ukubumbeka kwemiqolomba ephantsi komhlaba njengokuba amanzi angaphantsi kolwandle anyibilikisa amatye kancinci kancinci.
Ezi ntanda zikwavumela amanzi angaphezu komhlaba ukuba angene phantsi komhlaba, anyibilikise amatye elime aze andize nale miqolomba ngokwenza imingxuma egqobhozela ngaphezu komhlaba. Izityalo nazo zikwa ‘mpompela’ amanzi phantsi komhlaba ngokuthi zitshonise iingcambu zazo ematyeni. Oku kwandisa isantya sokhukuliseko lomhlaba ze kubangele ukuba amatye angaphezulu agubeke abengumhlaba. Kude kube namhlanje, ingqumba yemithi ebizwa nge White Stinkwood okanye iWild Olive ivamise ukuntama ukubakho komngcunya okhokelela ekungeneni komqolomba.
Xa lamatye sele egubekile, umhlaba uye uqale ukudilikela ngaphakathi emqolombeni, kudaleke umngxuma. Lomngxuma usenokuqulatha intlobo ezahlukeneyo zezinto ezifana namatye, amathambo, amakhuni njalo njalo. Nkqu nezilwanyana eziphilayo zisenokuwela kule miqolomba ziye zife ekubeni zingakwazi ukuphinda ziphumele ngaphandle. Oku ke kongeza iintsalela/ amathambo azo kule mingxuma.
Kubalulekile ukuchaza oku, kuba izinyanya zabantu ezaziphila mandulo zazingenokuhlala kwimiqolomba enzulu kakhulu, nalapho kwakubanda kwaye kumnyama. Ndaweni yoko, kusenokwenzeka ukuba bawela kulemiqolomba ngengozi okanye barhuqelwa apho zizilo ezitya inyama. Mhlawumbi ke ezi zilo zazifuna ukutyela ekhusini. Okanye amathambo abo akhukhuliswa ngamanzi ukuya kule miqolomba.
Ngokuhamba kwexesha, amanzi angaphezulu komhlaba ayaqhubeka ukuchontsizela kule miqolomba. Lamanzi ahamba kumatye aluhlobo lwe dolomite, nto leyo ibangela ukuba kuqokeleleke Icalcium carbonate (lime). La manzi azele yi lime aye enze kuqine kwanto ikulomqolomba (enje ngamathambo). Esi sigaqa sesamente senziwa ngamanzi ane lime omileyo abizwe nge ‘breccia’. Yile breccia ke evamise ukuqulatha iintsalela zamathambo abantu okanye ezilwanyana. Ukuze kufumaneke lamathambo, iingcali zokwembiwa kwamathambo-archaeologists kufuneka zohlukanise lamathambo kule breccia.
Ngumsebenzi onzima kakhulu ke lo. Kodwa naxa sele imiqolomba ibumbekile, ayimi ngonaphakade. Ndaweni yoko, imiqolomba isoloko ikhula, idilika kwaye itshintsha tshintsha njengokuba uMhlaba ushukuma namanzi enyuka esihla. Iminyango yemiqolomba nayo ivuleka iphinde ivaleke ngokuhamba kwexesha. Kwaye maxa wambi uphahla lomqolomba ludulika lonke kuvele ibreccia, nenokuphinda igqunyelelwe ngumhlaba ongaphezulu okanye lufusi nengca.

Translated by Zizipho Silwana