STORIES 38
INTO THE CAVE The archaeologists who found the world’s oldest humanmade drawing are back in Blombos Cave in search of new discoveries. Professor Henshilwood welcomes us to the cave to show us his team at work as they dig for clues that can tell us how early humans lived. The trip to the cave is challenging if you are not accustomed to off-road driving. After the vehicles have been parked, we walk down a steep path cut into the hillside and arrive at Blombos Cave. The group consists of researchers from the University of Bergen (UiB), Germany, England and also UiB’s Rector, Dag Rune Olsen.
Layer upon layer of stories The interdisciplinary research team is well underway with this year’s dig. They look pleased, and maybe somewhat secretive. Archaeologists often know when they have found something special, but many years may pass before they can fully explain the importance of the find. Specialised analyses and laboratory testing are necessary before they can explain, for example, how an object was used or how old it is. The excavations have cut down through the cave sediment, revealing numerous different coloured archaeological layers. “Each of the archaeological layers tells a story about the people who have lived here,” explains Henshilwood. He takes us back in time — to the time when our ancestors lived here in this cave. Henshilwood describes various items that that have been discovered here, and explains how each of them tell us something about how our ancestors began to use symbols to communicate with
