Blombos Cave facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blombos Cave
Blombos Cave
Location	Blombos Private Nature Reserve, Heidelberg, Western Cape, South Africa

Blombos Cave is an amazing archaeological site in South Africa. It is located about 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Cape Town. This special cave is found on the Southern Cape coastline.

Scientists have found very old things inside Blombos Cave. These items date back to the Middle Stone Age, between 100,000 and 70,000 years ago. There are also newer items from the Late Stone Age, about 2,000 to 300 years ago. Digging at the cave started in 1991. Since 1997, archaeologists have been working there regularly.

Why Blombos Cave is Important

Blombos Cave has given us new clues about how early humans behaved. The discoveries here help us understand when and where modern human thinking began. This includes how early Homo sapiens (that's us!) developed in southern Africa.

Early Human Behavior

The things found from the Middle Stone Age in Blombos Cave are very exciting. They show that people living long ago were very clever. They adapted to their environment in many ways. They also used different ways to find food.

They made complex tools and used many steps to create them. People also started to make things that looked nice, not just useful. This shows they had more social groups and even used symbols.

Amazing Discoveries

Some of the most important finds from Blombos Cave include:

• Engraved ochre: Ochre is a natural earth pigment. Some pieces have patterns carved into them.
• Ochre processing kits: These are tools used to prepare ochre.
• Shell beads: Small beads made from marine shells. These might have been worn as jewelry.
• Refined tools: Well-made tools from bone and stone.
• Animal remains: Bones from shellfish, birds, tortoises, and even ostrich egg shells. These show what people ate.

These discoveries have changed what we thought about early human behavior. They show that modern human traits appeared much earlier than once believed. They also show these traits developed in southern Africa.

Oldest Known Drawing

One of the most famous finds is a stone fragment with cross-hatching done in ochre. Scientists believe this is the oldest known drawing made by a human. It is estimated to be 73,000 years old!

Protecting the Site

Because Blombos Cave is so important, it is now a protected place. On May 29, 2015, Heritage Western Cape officially made it a provincial heritage site. This helps make sure the cave and its treasures are kept safe for the future.

Images for kids

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  Stratigraphy in Blombos Cave

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  Blombos Cave location

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  Blombos Cave stratigraphy

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  Stratigraphy of Blombos Cave.

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  Lithic Industries of early Homo sapiens at Blombos Cave (M3 phase, MIS 5), Southern Cape, South Africa (c. 105 – 90 Ka)

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  Bifacial silcrete point from M1 phase (71,000 BCE) layer of Blombos Cave, South Africa

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  Claimed "Oldest known drawing by human hands", discovered in Blombos Cave in South Africa. Estimated to be 73,000 years old.

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  Possible rock art, Blombos cave.

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  Blombos Cave shell beads

See also

In Spanish: Cueva de Blombos para niños