Johannesburg - The Malapa fossil-excavation site, where the remains of the fossil “Sediba” were discovered, is now accessible to the public thanks to a custom-built viewing deck that also offers protection from the elements.
Malapa is situated in the Cradle of Humankind Unesco World Heritage Site on a privately owned farm.
The area first caught the public’s attention following the discovery of a fossilised bone by Wits Professor Lee Berger’s son Matthew.
Berger said they were so excited that he brought back a team on September 4, 2008.
Berger himself spotted a piece of dolomite with what he recognised as a proximal humerus bone of an adult hominid, later named Australopithecus Sediba.
Berger said nowhere else had two skeletons been discovered on the same site.
Wits, Gauteng Tourism and the Cradle commissioned a mobile laboratory, and last September work began on a structure to protect the dig, aid the actual palaeontological work and provide potential tourism opportunities.
“We realised early on that it was not an ordinary site. But the fragility of the remains we found caused us to step away from the site. It is one of the largest palaeontological sites in the world,” Berger said.
Work now continues at the 2 million-year-old deposit, which is found in pristine bush on the 75 000 hectare Nash farm. It is rich in dolomite, which preserves fossils perfectly, Gauteng Tourism Authority content specialist Anthony Paton said.
“The deck will provide accessibility for the public and give them a grasp of the complexity of our common ancestry,” he added.
Berger gave architect Krynauw Nel an “evil design briefing”, but the design team had outdone themselves in every respect, Berger said.
The steel structure is a flexible “treehouse” suspended above the Malapa excavation site, which is about as big as a squash court.
Access is gained along a walkway of recycled material and opens onto an oval viewing deck with an open central area, where the original miners’ cave is visible.
The edifice can also be moved, thanks to minimal foundations and large “legs”.
Berger said the structure helps to tell the story of the site.
“Every aspect of the structure blends with the surrounding area. The slope of the roof corresponds to the hills around it, and the glossy paint merges with the acacia bark and catches the sunlight.”
A number of parties collaborated to fund the R6m building, which took nearly a year to complete.
At the opening ceremony, deputy vice-chancellor for partnerships at Wits, Rob Moore, said the Cradle was an important feature on South Africa’s scientific landscape and the project showed how science can be done differently.
“It is important to draw people into compelling careers and to know that our government invests in science.”
The structure can hold groups of up to 48 and contains a lifting device to help scientists move large rock deposits, as well as a live-feed camera.
“We know people want to come to extraordinary places,” said Berger, who is planning to open the site to visitors by November.
The Star