Africa’s Archaeological Gems: Mysteries of the Continent

9. Bakopi, South Africa

In South Africa, in the hills surrounding Machadodorp, in the southeast of the country, are the remains of a series of structures built by the Bakopi people. The mountainous countryside is covered with terraces made of stone walls and a large complex of prefabricated houses.

8. The African city of Stoe, Zimbabwe

The country of Zimbabwe took its name, in 1980, from this archaeological site… Zimbabwe City. This stone city was the center of the region between the 10th and 15th centuries and covered an area of ​​approximately 1,779 acres. Now the remaining structures include a series of stone enclosures, some of which are up to 36 feet (11 m) tall.

7. Gedi, Kepia

It was first found in 1884. The Gedi Ruins, in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest in Kilifi, Kenya, are all that remains of an ancient city that remains a mystery to archaeologists. There are no written records of Gedi, but the structures and artifacts that have been found there show evidence of a prosperous city that was advanced and prosperous before its demise sometime in the 17th century.

6. The churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

In central Ethiopia, about 400 miles from the capital, Addis Ababa, there is a mountainous region that was a site of religious importance. Here 11 monolithic churches were carved into the rock, believed to have been built by Kigg Lalibela in an attempt to build a “New Jerusalem” in the 12th century, after Muslim conquests prevented Christians from traveling to their holy city.

5. The Stoe circles of Seпegambia

The Seпegambia stone circles are a series of megalithic structures covering an area 62 miles wide along a 200-mile stretch of the Gambia River. It is not known with certainty where the monuments were built, as it is estimated that they were between 2,300 and 400 years ago. Along with the stones, pottery, tombs and metal pieces have also been found, showing signs of a fairly advanced society.

4. Ledi’s jaw, Ethiopia

As the habitat in which the human species developed, many questions still remain about our ancestral life, some of which have been answered recently with the discovery of the Ledi jaw. There is a huge gap in our knowledge of how our own Homo geus evolved.

3. Meroe, Sudap

Egypt is, of course, well known for its pyramids… but it is not the only country in Africa where they were built. In the desert east of Sudan, on the banks of the Nile River, there are a series of nearly 200 ancient pyramids, most of which served as refuge for the leaders of the Meroitic kingdom.

2. Laas Geel, Somalia

Laas Geel, meaning “water source for camels,” is a series of caves and grottoes located about 34 miles northeast of Somalia’s capital city, Hargeisa. The site is dry, but it is the bed of two ancient rivers, which would explain why it is known as a source of water and a place with ample evidence of human activity.

1. Olduvai Gorge, Tajikistan

On the other side of Tascia, the Olduvai Gorge is where some of the most important discoveries about our ancestors have been made. Archaeologists and paleoanthropologists have worked in the area for more than a century and have found tools and objects dating back millions of years. This means that humans are the only ones in Africa.