Gladysvale Cave excavation

The goals of this project are a re-opening of work at the important fossil bearing site of Gladysvale, situated in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage site in order to utilize modern methods of exploration, geological and geochronological analyses, mapping and preparation to test hypothesis generated by previous work at the site conducted during the 1940’s and 50’s as well as more extensive work by the junior applicant conducted during the 1990’s and early 21st Century (Berger, 1992; Berger et al., 1993; Berger & Tobias, 1994). Gladysvale is well documented in the literature and its importance, history, key issues etc. are well documented in several SAHRA Management Reports, so these aspects of the site will not be repeated in this application. This application will deal with the proposed research to be conducted, methods, a proposed plan of work and with Key Management Issues brought up in various Management Reports that remain unresolved. This application proposes solutions to issues and problems so that work can continue at the site and contribute to greater scientific knowledge of these deposits as well as greater understanding of the region. What is important to note about Gladysvale though, and of importance to regional science, is that our present understanding of the dates of the various in-situ deposits at the site indicate that it dominantly covers a temporal range under 1.3 million years with significant fossil bearing deposits in the Middle and Later Pleistocene (Berger, 1993; Lacruz et al., 2002).