The South Route starts in Karatu and winds toward Lake Eyasi, exploring cultural sites and local communities, including the famous Laetoli Footprints.
The South Route explores many different cultural sites in the Geopark. It begins in Karatu, located on the southern flank of the Ngorongoro Highlands, and weaves southwest from there to regions on the north and east sides of Lake Eyasi. In addition to visiting several different local areas, the route takes you to see the world-famous Laetoli Footprints.
The large Ficus tree just off the side of the road is the Endulen Oreteti Tree. It is the most sacred tree to all of the Maasai peoples. Tribe members travel to this site in times of hardship (famine, drought, etc.) to conduct ritual sacrifices of cattle, sheep and goats, followed by seven days of prayer.
The Maasai will worship here for a few years and then move on to another tree somewhere in the region. “Oreteti” means ficus or fig tree in the Maasai language.
The cylindrical objects suspended in trees are traditional beehives. Beekeeping is one of the oldest practices carried out by the Maasai and other tribes of the region. The beehives are constructed by hollowing out a cylindrical log that is then cut in half lengthwise. The two halves are joined together and the ends are sealed with woven grass. A few small holes in each end provide entry and exit for the bees. At harvest time, the hive is split open and the honeycombs are removed. The halves are then rejoined for the bees to start the next honey crop.
The Laetoli Footprint site is among the most famous archaeological sites in the world, as it provided indisputable evidence that bipedalism in human ancestors had been achieved by 3.6 million years ago. The site consists of three stops. The first stop is the newly-constructed visitor centre from which one can see the excavation site in the valley bottom. It features a life-sized model of the footprints, as well as numerous exhibits explaining the significance of the footprints in the history of human evolution.
The second stop is the excavation site itself which consists of numerous pits and trenches dug into dark gray volcanic sediment, as well as the (currently covered) hominid footprint tracks. The third stop is located a short drive up the valley where the same volcanic ash that contains the hominid footprints is exposed. Here, hominid footprints are lacking, but there is a multitude of bird and small mammal tracks (Guinea Fowl, etc.)
Laetoli has been the site of excavation since 1938. In 1974, Mary Leakey, who was conducting on-going research in the Olduvai Gorge region, relocated her efforts to Laetoli and shortly thereafter discovered the well-preserved remains of hominids. In 1976, two members of her team fortuitously discovered the hominid footprints while throwing balls of elephant dung at one another. One person fell down and recognized footprints in a hardened volcanic ash layer exposed on the surface. Subsequent excavation revealed that the footprints were made by three individuals walking in the same direction.
This has led some to propose that they were walking as a group. In 1979, the footprints were re-buried for purposes of preservation. In 2015, two new sets of footprints were unearthed at a site approximately 150 meters to the south of the original site. The two individuals were walking on the same surface and in the same direction as the three individuals at the original site, thus raising the possibility that more footprints may yet be discovered. Most researchers agree that Australopithecus afarensis is the hominid species who made the footprints at Laetoli.
Lake Eyasi is another large rift-margin saline lake similar to Lakes, Manyara and Natron to the north. The principal inflow is from the Sibiti River in the south and the Baray in the north. On the 20Ma Rift escarpments, the Eyasi Panorama gives wide view of Lake and its surrounding areas from distance.
This stop features a Datoga blacksmith shop. A small sub-group of the Datoga Tribe relies on blacksmithing, rather than pastoralism, for their livelihoods. The blacksmiths use recycled metal for all of their wares. They pull apart foraged scrap metal, such as old coffee pots, and then melt the pieces over a fire to produce ingots of iron and bronze. The ingots are then forged into elaborate arrows, knife blades, spears and distinctive jewellery. The Datoga blacksmiths sell their products to other Datoga clans, but sometimes they may barter them in exchange for honey, goats and sheep. Members of the Hadzabe Tribe (Stop 48) are a major trading partner. Even though this clan is very important to the rest of the Datoga tribe, it is usually considered to be of lower class since members do not own cattle or other animals.
The Datoga blacksmiths and Datoga pastoralists are not allowed to intermarry. There are about only about 1000 Datoga blacksmiths compared to a total Datoga population of around 88,000.
The Datoga people are highland Nilotic pastoralists who lived two centuries ago near the Nile River. They slowly migrated southeast to the Ngorongoro Highlands, but were eventually displaced by Maasai pastoralists. They moved into southern areas of the Lake Eyasi Basin two centuries ago, after further being displaced by the agricultural Iraqw people.
The Datoga consist of two groups who lead fundamentally different lives. The first group is pastoralist and depends upon the herding of cattle, goat, sheep and donkey for their livelihood. The second group consists of blacksmiths and their families who specialize in forging arrows, knives, spears and jewellery.
The Datoga Village at this stop belongs to a pastoral group. The village consists of several rectangular-shaped houses made of wooden supports, twigs and mud. The flat tops of the houses are often covered in useful plants, such as aloe.
It is common practice for a Datoga male to have more than one wife. The standard floor plan for a Datoga house consists of seven rooms, arranged in a row. Each wife occupies two adjacent and
connected rooms and the man occupies a single room at the end of the structure. Meals are communal and are prepared and served on a rotating daily basis by each wife. If a man has more than three wives, then he maintains multiple houses. The Datoga women make clothes from animal skins which they decorate with elaborate and colourful beadwork. They sell necklaces and other jewellery to visitors to supplement their family’s income.
The Datoga believe strongly in the power of spirits. They are animists who believe that objects, places and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. In times of need or crisis, they make pilgrimages to worship at the sacred Datoga graves and a holy fig tree that are located in Ngorongoro Crater (Caldera Route Stops 20 and 21).
During the drive south from Karatu to Lake Eyasi, you may have noticed areas full of bright green agricultural fields. The crop that is being grown is onion. At this stop, you are in the largest and oldest area of onion cultivation in the Lake Eyasi region. In the early 1920s, the local Iraqw (“Mbul”) Tribe recognized that the volcanic-rich soil in the area, combined with the abundant fresh waters from the Mang’ola Spring System, provided ideal conditions for the cultivation of onions. What started out as small family-owned plots has partially given way to large commercial onion farms, made possible by large-scale irrigation.
Although the scale of farming has increased, the harvesting and sorting of the onions is still done by hand. Much of the annual onion crop is shipped to the cities of Nairobi (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda) and Juba (South Sudan). Kenya exports some of these onions as far as Europe and China, thus making this region an internationally valued onion cultivation district. Large red bags of onions ready for sale can be seen on roadsides. The entire area has a wonderful Savory smell.
Mumba Cave, or Rock shelter, is a spacious shelter situated under an immense outcrop of metamorphic gneiss located along the northeastern side of Lake Eyasi. A rich archaeological site provides the most complete archaeological sequence in East Africa for the Middle Stone Age through the Iron Age.
A nearly 11 meter (36 feet) thick section of sediment in the floor of the shelter records hominid and human occupation that dates back at least 130,000 years before present. Sporadic excavations in the shelter floor, first begun in 1933, have uncovered abundant artifacts, rock art, and evidence of burials. Currently, the rock shelter is 2-4 km from the shore of Lake Eyasi, depending upon lake level. However, the sediments in the shelter floor indicate that the shoreline was much closer in ancient times and that the shelter may also have been close to one or more freshwater streams.
The iraqw or Irakw (also known as Wambulu) are a Cushitic speaking ethnic group inhabiting the great lakes region of East Africa. They live in Arusha and Manyara Region of North Central Tanzania near the rift valley wall and south of Ngorongoro crater. Traditionally the iraqw wore clothing made of skins with elaborate beadwork that old their histories. The iraqw are agro pastoralism.
Iraqw tribe change their style of housing, from round houses with high conical thatched roofs to low partially subterranean and earthen-roofed tempe houses, as a defensive measure against Maasai raids during the early nineteenth century. The Tempe houses were thought to have been in use during a limited period only, after which the roundhouse style was adopted again. Additionally, the Iraqw’s ancestors are often credited with having constructed the sprawling Engaruka complex in northern Tanzania. The modern Iraqw practice an intensive form of self-contained agriculture.
Iraq historical traditions likewise relate that their last significant migration to their present area of inhabitation occurred about two or three centuries ago after conflicts with the Barbaig sub-group of the Datoga Nilotes, herders who are known to have occupied the Crater Highlands prior to the arrival of the Maasai. This population movement is reportedly consistent with the date of the Engaruka site’s desertion, which is estimated at somewhere between 1700 and 1750.
Iraqw tribe have two types of local beer which are Busa made with maize flour and finger millet flour and Mangure made with made with millet flour. The name busa was originated from kamba tribe in Kenya since 1978 through interaction of human activities. There are many local breweries at Karatu Town located about 0.5 km from the main road to Ngorongoro.
The Hadza, or Hadzabe, are an indigenous ethnic group in north-central Tanzania, living around Lake Eyasi. They are hunter-gathering bushmen who have lived in this area for thousands of years. They are the sole remaining group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania and are the only ones still permitted to hunt wild animals for their food. During the dry season, they live in small huts constructed of local materials.
During the wet season, they live in rock caves or hollowed-out Baobab trees. While traditionally considered an East African branch of the Khoisan peoples, primarily because their language has clicks, modern genetic research suggests that they may be more closely related to the Pygmies.
Hadza men usually forage individually. During the course of day, they usually feed themselves while foraging, but may also bring home honey, fruit, or wild game when available. Women forage in larger parties and usually bring home berries, baobab fruit, and tubers.
During the wet season, the diet of the Hadzabe is composed mostly of honey, fruit, and occasional meat. Meat becomes more abundant during the dry season when game become concentrated around sources of water.
The men often hunt wild game in pairs with bows and arrows treated with poison made from the branches of the shrub Adenium coetaneum, also known as the desert rose. Their favourite meat is baboon.
The increasing impacts of tourism, encroaching agriculture and expanding pastoralism pose serious threats to the Hadzabe traditional way of life.
Today, only around 300-400 of the approximately 1000 Hadzabe people still survive exclusively on traditional means of foraging.
The Makonde, an ethnic group found in southeastern Tanzania and northern Mozambique, are famous for their wood carving skills. The Makonde are among the few matrilineal societies in Tanzania, whereby kinship is traced through women and husbands move into the village of their wives.
Traditionally, the Makonde used ebony wood, rosewood and mahogany to carve personal household items and masks for ceremonial dancing. Once their carving became known outside of Africa, the Makonde expanded their work to include many new objects of beauty and utility. These carvings are extremely intricate and often large in scale.
They may depict traditional stories and feature an array of animals. Makonde carvings are often seen in hotel lobbies and in gift shops throughout Tanzania. The art of carving is passed down from father to son and generation to generation.
This spring is one of several natural fresh water springs that belong to the Mang’ola spring system. This system is quite large and covers a five-hectare (12.5 acre) area. The source of the springs is a subterranean basalt aquifer that collects its water from the evergreen forests high up on the slopes of Oldeani and Ngorongoro Volcanoes. For over a century, these springs sustained the widespread and continuously expanding agriculture in the area. They are also the sole source of water for domestic and animal use.
Note the large Ficus tree on the far side of the spring. Ficus trees need a steady supply of fresh water to grow. Thus, they are often sought out as indicators of fresh groundwater that may be hidden beneath the ground surface. Slightly downstream from the spring is a water pump that is removing water from the stream. This is part of an ambitious project wherein spring water is being pumped to a high-elevation reservoir located nearly four kilometres away. A piping system then returns the water to villages and towns at lower elevations, providing pressurized water, which greatly enriches the lives of the local population.
The Mang’ola spring system is unfortunately in danger of collapse. Persistent drought has caused many other springs along the shores of Lake Eyasi to dry up, leaving the Mang’ola near the villages of Qangdend and Ghorofani as the only remaining source of fresh water in the region. The competing demands of agricultural and domestic use have led to over pumping and depletion of the basalt aquifer.
In addition, the aquifer source areas on the flanks of Oldeani and Ngorongoro Volcanoes have been degraded by the excessive clearing of trees, followed by overgrazing, which has reduced the ability of rain water to soak into the ground to replenish the aquifer. These actions have led to further depletion of the basalt aquifer. Finally, there is little to no restriction or control on land usage in the region fed by the spring. If present usage and aquifer source area degration continue, then the Mang’ola Spring will likely suffer the same fate as other springs. A long-term management plan, with input from all stake-holders, is greatly needed to protect and conserve this important natural resource.
Both stops are reached after an easy 1-hour hike along a path through lush rainforest along the lower slopes of Ngorongoro Volcano. The walk is beautiful in itself and offers a wide range of rain forest flora and occasional fauna, as well as spectacular panoramic views of the agricultural fields around Karatu. Visitors to these sites must be accompanied by a ranger from the nearby Ngorongoro Conservation Area Agency station, who provides protection from unlikely encounters with large animals like cape buffalo.
The Geopark also provides a local guide with expertise on everything from traditional uses of plants seen on the path to the identification of bird calls.
The Endoro Waterfalls (Stop 50) consist of three cataracts: an upper fall of about 50 meters (164 feet) in height, followed by a cascade of about 70 meters (230 feet) in height, followed by a lower fall of about 30 meters (98 feet) in height.
The source of the stream is a spring located near the Ngorongoro Crater rim. The falls occur where the stream flows over two resistant basaltic lava flows. The stream flows year-round, but increases significantly in flow during the rainy seasons.
Gibb’s Farm is a combination of working farm and private safari hotel. The farm dates back to 1929 when a German farmer, subsidized by the German government, started a coffee plantation along the southern flank of Ngorongoro Volcano. In 1948, the plantation was purchased by a British war veteran, James Gibb. James’ wife, Margaret, was an avid gardener and started a small vegetable and flower garden on the grounds. Ultimately, these gardens were expanded into the large organic farm present today.
In 1972, the Gibbs built several guesthouses to accommodate an increasing number of visitors coming to the Ngorongoro area. Over the years, the farm was expanded even further to become a true safari hotel with a maximum capacity of 50 guests.
The original 1929 German farmhouse serves as the centrepiece of the hotel. Produce from the farm is not sold on the local market, but is instead used to feed hotel guests and employees. Indeed, 95% of the food served to guests comes from the farm itself. Gibb’s Farm employs many local residents, providing them with valuable educational and training opportunities. It also promotes environmental awareness by using sustainable and renewal practices. In addition, it serves as a model for ways to live in harmony with nature.
High-quality coffee is produced at the plantation and may be purchased at the hotel, along with other Tanzanian products and books about the area. On a historical note, Margaret Gibb was a good friend of Mary Leakey, who would often stay at the farm as a guest while traveling from Kenya to her research camp at Olduvai Gorge.
At Elephant Caves there are a number of large holes visible in the yellowish-brown hillside. These “caves” were formed by elephants digging into the soft ground to seek mineral-rich soils. The original bedrock in this area is basalt. Years of weathering have broken down the basalt into yellowish-brown clay which is rich in magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium. These minerals are beneficial to elephants for their bone health.
The elephants literally “mine” the rock by hitting it with their tusks and then eating the loosened material.
The caves are located along an established corridor of migration for elephants between Maasai Mara National Reserve, located to the north in Kenya, and Lake Manyara National Park, located just to the southeast of Karatu.
Elephant Caves is probably one of the more symbolic sites in the entire Geopark, as it represents a place where animal behaviour and geology are intimately linked to one another.
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