Olorgesailie is an extinct volcano that spewed molten rock from within its core more than three million years ago.
In 1919 the famous Rift explorer John Walter Gregory came upon Olorgesailie.
However, his was a study of the geology of the Rift Valley rather than an exposition of the early humanoid who had once lived there and left their tools behind as testimony of their existence.
We’re in the depths of the Great Rift Valley, driving on Magadi Road to Olorgesailie prehistoric site, 70 kilometres south of Nairobi. The landscape changes from the green of Ngong Hills to the dry scrub of the valley’s floor, edged by its walls and mountains. Our ancestors lived here millions of years ago.
One reason to flee for the day is that it’s November. “November is the peak month for the bird migration from the northern hemisphere to the southern,” says Jennifer Oduori, a protégée of naturalist Fleur Ng’weno.
