By Frank Kamuntu
The Ga-Mohana Hill, located in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa, is still revered today by the indigenous populations that live on the edge of the mountains. However, archeological discoveries show that the Kalahari Desert in South Africa was the birthplace of human ingenuity at a time when there was a significant amount of rainfall there.
Ostrich eggshells were utilized by early men who resided at the base of Ga-Mohana Hill to store rainwater for later use. 22 white calcite crystals and pieces of ostrich egg shell that researchers excavated from the hill were dated by science to be 105,000 years old.
The location of the eggshells and crystals raises the possibility that the region had spiritual importance to early men who lived there before local groups designated the rock shelter as a sacred site.
The artifacts were considerably older than what was there, according to the researchers, who compared the crystals and ostrich eggshell fragments they found to what the local communities use in their religious ceremonies. The examination, according to the experts, also indicated that the early man were deliberate in their acquisition of the crystals and ostrich eggshells and that their very existence may have had a great spiritual significance.
The fragments discovered at the site, according to Dr. Sechaba Maape, a researcher at the University of Witwatersrand, give the impression that they connect to early men’s cultural or spiritual practices. He claimed that the fact that the nearby communities still use the location for spiritual purposes now does not surprise him.
He said the team was able to identify the age of the ostrich eggshells at the site thanks to examination done by the OSL laboratory at the Department of Geology at the University of Innsbruck. According to Dr. Michael Meyer, head of the OSL Laboratory, they used the natural light signals that accumulate over time in sedimentary quartz to estimate the age of such sedimentary fragments.
He explained that in order for the researchers to establish the age of the layers, the technology divides the particles into time frames that are analogous to how a clock works. The findings, according to the researchers, also provide a picture of the climate in the area 100,000 years ago.
It is hardly unexpected that the Tswana word Kgala, which means tremendous thirst, is where the name Kalahari originates. The dug-out shards show that the Ga-Mohana hill saw intense rainfall patterns in the past, even though the area is a desert and only receives seasonal rain.
Director of the Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) at the University of Cape Town, Dr. Robyn Pickering, said it was an indication that life thrived in the Kalahari desert where early men engaged in agriculture and sustained life.
Additional examination of the crystal fragments and ostrich eggshells reveals evidence of human habitation between 110,000 and 100,000 years ago. The significance of the location to the surrounding populations, according to the researchers, prevents them from exploring the site’s spiritual significance further. Additional excavation work would imply upsetting the location that the people value most.
The findings, in the opinion of the researchers, indicate that sites that were deserted in contemporary times engaged in human activity and were thriving centers of trade. They suggested that these relationships might have extended to people who lived along South Africa’s coast and affected what was created in the Kalahari desert in other areas.
They claimed that the results paint a picture of a people who were well-organized and who had maintained their cultural rights. The experts are optimistic that further information on the behavior and cultural practices of the early males who lived in this area will be revealed by the Ga-Mohana Hill.
