South African National Parks (SANParks), together with a team of archaeologists, will be launching a new exhibition at the Cape of Good Hope Buffelsfontein Visitor Centre (BVC) in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) in April 2023. The exhibition will showcase the discovery of our early modern human origins and innovations in Southern Africa, under the banner of the ‘Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour.’
Although the preparation of the internal exhibition area for the Origins exhibit installation commences on 20 February 2023, the rest of the BVC facility (eg toilets, office, outside exhibition area) will remain operational and open to all visitors and tour operators.
The Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour exhibition, curated by award-winning documentary filmmaker, Craig Foster, and archaeologist, Petro Keene, showcases the culmination of some 30 years of archaeological research in the southern Cape.
The remarkable discoveries highlight the rich archaeological records of three unique South African archaeological sites: Blombos Cave, Klipdrift Shelter and Klasies River, all situated on the southern Cape coast of South Africa. These sites were occupied by early Homo sapiens (humans who behaved and looked like us) between 120 000 and 50 000 years ago – a key period in the evolution of modern human behaviour.
“The aim of this exhibition is to create an understanding of our common ancestry with the ‘We are all One’ concept that strongly points to the evidence that all Homo sapiens, people like us, have their origins in Africa. Past ancient lifeways are richly portrayed to inform and educate visitors of all ages about their own past and to encourage a sense of pride in us with the knowledge that we all originally evolved in Africa,” says Archeologist Petro Keene.
The exhibition, Origins of Early Southern Sapiens Behaviour, comprises 19 unique display panels, including six videos by Craig Foster and Damon Foster, and bespoke Sea Change Project content, allowing visitors a unique multi-sensory experience.
