Amadwala Ayisesekelo se-Cradle of Humankind

Ukwakheka kweDwala

©David Fleminger
Amadwala esifundeni se-Cradle of Humankind akhiwa ikakhulukazi emgodini weDolomitic, owakhiwa embhedeni welwandle olungajulile nolwandle olufudumele olumboze I-WItwatersrand Basin eminyakeni eyiziidi zezigidi ezintathu ezidlule. Amadwala e-Dolomite ngokuyinhloko ahlanganiswe ne-calcium carbonate (i-limestone) ne-oksijeni encane eyengeziwe ngesilinganiso esihle. Lokhu kudala isimo seKarstic, esivame ukubunjwa kwamapulangwe ngenxa yokukhukhula okulandelayo ngemuva kwemigqa yamaphutha ngaphansi komhlaba.
Amatshe azungeze iSterkfontein neKrugersdorp afika eminyakeni engama-2.6 billion kanti amadwala aseMpumalanga, afika eHartebeespoort, afika eminyakeni engaba ngu-2.2 billion. Lezi zindwala zamatshe zazishintshwa futhi amadwala aseNtshonalanga ye-Cradle of Humankind, ku-Krugersdorp aphakanyiswa kuqala, okwenza ukwanda kwezinga lokukhukhula nokudala amagquma ahambayo kule ngxenye ye-Cradle of Humankind.

Masibe Nobuchwepheshe

Uma ufuna ukuthola ezobuchwepheshe, futhi nguban ongafuni, insalela itholakala eqenjini laseChuniespoort, leqembu leMalmani Sub-Group, le-Transvaal Supergroup yamadwala, futhi lakhiwa eminyakeni engaba ngu-2,5 billion edlule. I-subgroup yeMalmani iphinde ihlukaniswe ngama-sub-units amahlanu: i-Oaktree, i-Monte Christo, i-Lyttleton, i-Eccles neFrisco Formations. Lesi sifundazwe sineziqu zokuhola nezethusi, ezachithwa yizizwe zangaphambili kanye nezifiki zakuleli ndawo.

Ukucubungula nokuThintana

©David Fleminger
Ngakho-ke, lapho umvubukuli noma i-palaeontologist eveze ukuthi kukhona khona idwala lasendulo, bathola kanjani izinto? Ukucwaninga kuyinkimbinkimbi, isikhathi esiphuthumayo nenqubo ebuhlungu efuna iminyaka yokuqeqeshwa nesiguli esingapheli. Kuyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu isiyalo ukuchaza ngezigaba ezimbalwa ezibanzi. Ngakho nazo ke. ..
Mhlawumbe isici esibaluleke kunazo zonke sokucubungula kungumongo, obizwa ngokuthi i-provenence. Ngokuyinhloko, lokhu kusho ukuthi ufuna ukurekhoda ngangokunokwenzeka mayelana nesimo lapho kutholakala khona izinsalela: Kutholakalephi? Kwakungamanga kanjani? Yayiyini eduze kwayo? Yini eyayingaphansi kwalo? Yini eyayingaphansi kwalo? Lonke lolu lwazi lungakunikeza ulwazi oluthe xaxa kanye nezinkomba mayelana nemvelo, imvelo yayo, indawo ehlala kuyo kanye nokuphila kwayo okungeke kwenzeke ukucacisa ukuthi ngabe uyithatha nje bese uyibeka ebhokisini. Into yukuthi ukuthungwa kuyisimo esiyingozi futhi, uma usususile i-breccia noma i-fosil, awukwazi ukubeka i-Humpty ndawonye futhi.
Ngakho-ke, kufanele uhlele ukumba ngokucophelela bese ubhala ulwazi oluningi ngangokunokwenzeka mayelana nemibandela yezinsalela ngaphambi kokuba ususe futhi ulibeke esitolo. Lokhu kuhlanganisa ukuthatha izithombe nokugcina amanothi ensimu, okudingwa ngumthetho waseNingizimu Afrika. Kufanele futhi ungalokothi ususe impahla engaphezulu kunalokho okudingekayo, futhi kubhekwa ukuthi umkhuba omuhle ukushiya ngemuva kwesigaba 'sofakazi' ukuze abaphenyi abalandelayo bakwazi ukuqhubeka nokucubungula esikhathini esizayo.

KuGridi noma Cha

©David Fleminger
Esikhathini esidlule, abavubukuli basebenzise uhlelo lwegridi ukuze banqume ukuhamba kwesikhathi. Lesi yisistimu lapho ugxila khona uchungechunge lwezintambo noma izintambo eziqhamukayo-ziwela isayithi ukuze zenze igridi ejwayelekile yezikwele, ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-spits.
Abacwaningi bendulo bazobe bavulela igridi ngayinye ezigabeni, bathi, amamentimitha angu-100 ajulile, bahlunga ngokusebenzisa izinto, bathathe izinsalela bese bebeka konke esikhwameni esibhalwe ngegridi nokubhekisela kokujula.
Lesi kwakuyisistimu esetshenziselwa eSterkfontein isikhathi esiningi sekhulu leminyaka elidlule, futhi igridi yocingo endala isamiswa ngaphezu kwe-diggings. Inkinga ngale ndlela yizo zonke izinto ezihlanganiswa ndawonye futhi ukuhlolwa komuntu ngamunye kwezinto akunakwenzeka ukucacisa.
Njengoba ubuchwepheshe obusha bukhona kulaba-archaeologists banamuhla, isistimu yegridi ishesha ingasebenzi. Manje, besebenzisa imishini eyinkimbinkimbi ebizwa ngokuthi i-Total Station (ifana nabahlanganisi be-theodolite ne-GPS) abakwazi ukurekhoda isimo esiqondile nokuphakama kwazo zonke izinto abazithola. Lokhu kuveza ukuhlinzekwa kwe-3D okuqoshwe kumathegi we-ID futhi kufakwa esikhwameni seplastiki kanye nemfuyo.

Inqubo Yokuguga

©David Fleminger
Kunezindlela ezimbili eziyinhloko zokumba: okungaqondile nokuqondile. Njengombuso obanzi kakhulu wesithupha, izinto ezitholakalayo ezingeni elifanayo zihlala ngesikhathi, ngenkathi izinto ezitholakala ezindizeni eziqondile zikhombisa ubudala (okuphakeme kuncane, okujulile kusekudala).
Ngakho-ke, ukukhetha ukuthi ngabe ukumba noma phansi kuncike kakhulu kulokho ozama ukukuthola. Uma ufuna isithombe esiphezulu somzuzwana othize ngesikhathi ugoqa; uma ufuna ukunquma ukulandelana komlando kwesayithi, ubamba phansi.
Yiqiniso, izinto azikaze zenziwe ngokucacile futhi izinto zingathola i-topsy-turvy, ikakhulukazi emaphandleni aqhubeka ewa futhi aguquke. Ngakho ukuhlaziywa kwe-stratigraphy ethize yesayithi kuvame ukudingwa ngaphambi kokuthi unqume ubuhlobo besimo phakathi kwezinto. Uthola futhi izinhlobo ezimbili zokumba izimo: lezo ezisemhlabathini ovulekile kanye nalawo asemakhakheni azinzima, ahlanganisiwe njenge-cave breccia.
Emhlabathini ovulekile, amathuluzi abaluleke kunawo wonke yi-trowel's builder kanye nokukhethwa kwamabhulashi namaqoqo amazinyo - konke okuphezulu kakhulu. I-trowel isetshenziselwa ukukhulula futhi isuse umhlaba.
Ikhethi isetshenziselwa ukuveza ngokucacile imfuyo futhi ibhulashi isetshenziselwa ukuxubha isihlabathi esihle. Ukuze kube nesilinganiso esihle, yonke inhlabathi ejikelezayo imfuyo ivame ukuqoqwa futhi ihlwetshwe uchungechunge lwezintambo ezimnandi zethusi zokususa ngisho namathambo amancane kakhulu nezinsalela zomhlaba, ezikhishwe futhi zifakiwe ukuhlaziywa kamuva endlini yocwaningo.

Ukukhipha

Uma usebenza ne-breccia eyinkimbinkimbi, noma kunjalo, ngokuvamile awukwazi ukususa i-fossil edwaleni ngenkathi usekhona kusayithi. Esikhundleni salokho, udinga ukusika i-breccia ye-fossil-bearing uhambise endlini yocwaningo. Ukuze wenze lokhu, usebenzisa i-drill ngesandla ukuze wenze izimbobo ezimbalwa ezungeze ibhokisi. Khona-ke ufaka amaweji amabili emgodini bese uqhuba ngokucophelela isigxobo phakathi kwabo ukuhlukanisa idwala ngokuhlanzekile kude nodonga noma phansi.
Amaphoyinti okubhekisela kulowo mlando abhalwe uphawu kwi-block ukuze ukulungiswa kungahlelwe kabusha ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Uma usubuyele kuLabhu, ungakwazi ukususa kancane kancane izinto ezisemthonjeni wedwala, noma ngomshini wokubhola okahle (njengethuluzi lomfakisi) noma ngokusebenzisa ngokucophelela ama-acid okubuthakathaka okuzoqothula i-breccia ngenkathi kugcinwa izinto ezimbi. Zombili lezi zindlela zidinga iminyaka yokusebenza nokubekezela okukhulu. Ngokuphathelene nokuthandana kwezinsalela, kunezinhlobo ezimbili zezindlela ezijwayelekile: ukuphola okuhlobene nokuthandana okuphelele noma kwe-chronometric.
Uhlobo lokuqala lapho uzama khona ukusebenza uma into ikhulile noma encane kunezinye izinto ezitholakala kusayithi elifanayo, futhi ngokuvamile lokhu kwenziwa ngokusebenza iminyaka yobudala bomhlabathi lapho kutholakala khona imfuyo ngokuhlaziya enye impahla (ikakhulukazi izitshalo nezilwane) ezitholakala esendleleni efanayo futhi ziqhathaniswa namanye amasayithi. Ngaphambi kwawo-1960, iningi lezobudlelwano zenziwa ngale ndlela. Ukuthandana kwe-Chronometric kuthinteka ekutholeni iminyaka yobudala ngokwezinto 'eminyakeni emingaki ngaphambi kosuku'. Lokhu kwenziwa ngezinqubo eziningi eziyinkimbinkimbi ezivame ukuthi zibandakanye ukubala ukuthi amakhemikhali athile (njengekhabhoni) akhona emthonjeni wezinto eziphilayo, bese efanisa lokho nokukala okujwayelekile nokujwayelekile kwesimo samakhemikhali.
Lezi zindlela ze-radiometric zingalinganisa i-potassium-argon (i-K-Ar), i-carbon (kuphela uma into ingaphansi kweminyaka engama-50 000 ubudala), nezinye izakhi zomsakazo. Kukhona futhi indlela ebizwa ngokuthi i-Palaeo-magnetism ehlaziya ukuma kwezinhlayiya ngaphakathi kwezinto ezincane ukuze kulinganise ukuthi izikhathi ezingakanani magnetic yoMhlaba ziye zashintsha (into eyenza yonke iminyaka engamakhulu ambalwa-eyinkulungwane, ngokusobala), kodwa kunjalo ingqondo engikhathazayo ukuze ngiyiqonde ngokugcwele.

Translated by Nsika Khoza