Olduvai Gorge

Olduvai Gorge is a deep, sedimentary ravine in northern Tanzania renowned for its rich record of early human fossils and stone tools. The exposed layers have produced fossils and cultural material that extend back roughly two million years and have been central to studies of human evolution.

The site includes visible excavation areas and a small museum that presents casts and interpretations of the finds; guided visits explain the stratigraphy and major discoveries. The gorge’s sequence of deposits records changing environments and human activity over long timescales.

Excavations were led by Louis and Mary Leakey in the mid-20th century, and Mary Leakey’s 1959 discovery of a robust hominin (Paranthropus boisei) is among the site’s landmark finds. Research at Olduvai transformed understanding of early hominin anatomy and tool use.

Olduvai Gorge lies within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania and runs through savannah and woodland landscapes; the exposed ravine is several tens of kilometres long and locally reaches tens of metres in depth.

• Key discovery: Mary Leakey's 1959 discovery of the robust hominin now called Paranthropus boisei (originally Zinjanthropus) is one of the site's most famous finds.
• Age of remains: Fossils and stone tools found here date back up to roughly two million years, making the gorge one of the most important early human archaeological sites in Africa.

What to See #

• Excavation exposures: Old excavation sites and exposed stratified layers show fossils and stone tool horizons up to around two million years old and are visible along the gorge walls.
• Olduvai Gorge Museum: A small on-site museum displays casts and copies of key hominin fossils and explains the major finds and stratigraphy discovered at the site.