Revealing the hidden : the cradle of humankind

Within our current society, humankind often separates 'human place' from 'natural place'. This alienation from nature leads human beings to believe that activities outside of protected natural areas have no effect on the areas demarcated as 'natural' (Mang 2007). This belief is evident within the landscape of the Cradle of Humankind, the only UNESCO-protected natural and cultural World Heritage Site, which is under threat from past and present social and economic activities, including acid mine drainage and poor farming practices. These activities within the Cradle are however not only threatening what is left of the historical landscape, but are also placing pressure on the hidden networks of the landscape. Among the networks which are hidden, is the vulnerable karst ecosystem, which hosts the endangered Schreiber's long-fingered bat colonies, which, in turn, impact on local farm production and the livelihoods of the community (Durand et al. 2010:74). A significant, yet vulnerable area within the Cradle is Bolt's Farm, located south-west of the Sterkfontein Caves, and forms the focus of this dissertation. It hosts some of the oldest fossiliferous deposits discovered in the area, which offer modern humankind a view into the historical landscape of the Cradle. This historical layer of the landscape, together with the destruction caused by the economic layer, and the opportunities within the social layer, make up the landscape of Bolt's Farm. Its existing networks are investigated, uncovering the threats to the landscape and using architecture as a way to reveal the opportunities inherent to the landscape. The proposed programme of a tourism route, linking archaeological and bat research facilities builds on the existing tourism network of the Cradle, while protecting the historical and natural landscapes, through the remediation of the destructive impact of the economic landscape.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Pretoria

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Peres, Edna

• UCTD
• Cradle of humankind
• Humankind

Statement dc:rights

• © 2017 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

A2017

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/60208