Oldupai Gorge

Long ago, 2-3 million years ago to be exact, a volcano exploded in today’s Oldupai Gorge of Northern Tanzania and then collapsed in on itself, creating a perfect place for a watering hole.  Other volcanoes in the area continued to erupt and shower the caldera in ash.  Several species walked through these ash deposits on their way to and from the watering hole.  Of these numerous creatures were three early hominids of Homo habilis from which our species evolved:  an adult male and an adult female who appear to be followed at some distance by another adult male, all of which would have blended into the landscape and made little impression on the scene they passed. After their caldera crossing, a light rain came down on the footprints they had left, cementing the ash layer into tuff.  The footprints of the many creatures and the hominid trio have been preserved in the earth for millennia, and very lucky scientists, the famous Leakey family, unearthed them in a place known today as Laetoli. 

This discovery marked an amazing point in prehistoric hominid history.  These footprints are a hint to the world as to the behavioral and family organization of these ancient hominids.  Though no hypothesis is certain, these fossils reveal quite a lot of information. Recent analysis of the female’s footprints suggest that she was carrying something, maybe a child.  However, there is disagreement in the anthropological world surrounding the role of the adult male in the rear.  Was he a part of the family? Perhaps it was a family unit.  Was he a loner?  Did he have antagonistic intentions towards the individuals in front of him or was he just curious? 

I was first introduced to Oldupai Gorge and its importance in my intro Anthropology class spring quarter my freshman year at DU. For most students, especially me, it is hard to sit through any class during spring quarter as the surrounding nature comes back to life and beckons from just outside the windows.  However, every Monday and Wednesday I was seated in a classroom fixated on almost every word spoken by Dr. Lawrence Conyers.  To this day, that class is still the most fascinating and memorable one I’ve ever taken and Larry is one of my favorite professors and people. He was the one who introduced me to Oldupai Gorge and Laetoli.  He projected an artist’s rendition of the scene at Laetoli millions of years ago that still flickers in my memory.  The male and female and hipped child walk in front, the other male is several paces behind, ancient animal species drink from the watering hole off in the distance and a spent volcano acts as the backdrop for the painting.

I couldn’t help but imagine this scene when I got to go there!  I sat at the lookout point gazing across the caldera and thinking about the walking trio.  Those three ancients, their footsteps preserved for millennia in the earth for us to find.  It was so long ago and they were creatures barely worth noting on the landscape.  However, their remnants foreshadowed the impression their future lineages would have on the earth.  Though thinking about ancient hominids three million years in the past makes me feel so insignificant, in the scheme of things, we are far from insignificant.  Today our footprints are not mere imprints fossilized in ash, rather they create ash, they spread it, and leave no other living thing to pass through it.  Will we leave enough evidence for future lineages and future hominid species to develop and learn about us?  If anything, I hope they learn from our mistakes.