See Where Life Began at 'The Cradle of Mankind'

Lake Turkana,

Amongst the most famous discoveries that have put Kenya on the world map is the Turkana Boy dated as having existed some 1.6 million years ago.  This young boy of about 9 – 12 years of age and 1.6 meters tall is the only almost complete skeleton of a human related fossil ever found in the world. Often referred to as “The Cradle of Mankind”, the Turkana region has one of the longest living histories on earth.

Discovered by a Kenyan, Mr. Kamoya Kimeu at Lake Turkana, a massive inland sea and the largest desert lake in the world, this single body of water is over 250 kilometres long, which is longer than the entire Kenyan coast. It is widely known as the Jade Sea because of the almost incandescent colour of its waters.  The site lies at the heart of the Sibiloi National Park, a place of stark beauty and prehistoric petrified forests.

Kenya is endowed with the richest pre-historic fossil heritage dating over 100 Million years ago, back into the dinosaur age. The Lake Turkana eco-system is amongst Kenya’s six World Heritage Sites. 

The National Museums of Kenya hold  the world’s largest collection of human pre-history, the longest and most complete record spanning over 27 Million years. You can also find records of fauna and plant species related to the evolution theory e.g. elephants, crocodiles- displayed in-situ at the Cradle of Mankind site.

In addition to fossil records, the existence of a long record of technological evolution with tools as old as 2.3 million years old also exists. The study of human evolution still continues today through the tireless efforts of Kenyan scientists at the National Museums of Kenya.

The National Museums of Kenya maintain a small museum and Koobi Fora, a research base at Sibiloi National Park.  Most discoveries can be viewed at the museum headquarters in Nairobi.

Lake Turkana Cultural Festival

Each year the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival is held in this region and features unique performances from 10 local communities who live in the Lake Turkana region.  This event celebrates and preserves the colourful cultures of the El Molo, Samburu, Gabbra, Rendile, Watta, Dasannach, Pokot and the Turkana tribes.

For more information on Kenya please visit: www.magicalkenya.com