Cape Town - In a monumental recognition of the Western Cape’s cultural and historical significance on the world stage, the Diepkloof Rock Shelter, near Elands Bay, and the Pinnacle Point Caves in Mossel Bay have been proclaimed World Heritage Sites by the Unesco World Heritage Committee.
The 46th session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee awarded the World Heritage status for three sites in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, as part of the South African nomination, The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa.
The successful inscription of these three Middle Stone Age sites, including Sibhudu Cave in KwaDukuza in KwaZulu-Natal, acknowledges the significant contribution to understanding the beginnings of contemporary human behaviour.
Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Ricardo Mackenzie said: “This momentous occasion marks a significant milestone in our collective journey to preserve and celebrate the origins of modern human behaviour and our shared cultural heritage. The exceptional preservation of these sites, amidst the challenges of climate change and rising sea levels, stand as testaments to our ancestors’ resilience, ingenuity and adaptation to environmental changes.”
Premier Alan Winde said the World Heritage Site status would promote sustainable tourism, economic development and job creation for many residents.
Mossel Bay Municipality mayor Dirk Kotzé said they were excited about the Pinnacle Point Caves receiving World Heritage status.
“Receiving World Heritage status will greatly enhance this vision, stimulate the economy, create jobs, help position Mossel Bay as the place where cultures meet, attract academics and other groups and individuals interested in learning more about the origins of human culture, and share the beautiful Mossel Bay we all know with the rest of the world,” Kotzé said.
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said it was a “great moment for South Africa and the continent to have another site added to the prestigious World Heritage listing.
“The inscription of this property will enable the world to appreciate the unique significance of these sites in the evolution of modern human behaviour.
“As we celebrate this prestigious recognition, we also acknowledge the critical role of heritage in fostering national unity, identity and sustainable development.
“The commitment to protecting these sites is a collective effort involving local communities, stakeholders and authorities,” McKenzie said.
The Diepkloof Rock Shelter, which was declared a Provincial Heritage Site in 2015, occurs in quartzitic sandstone in a ridge about 100m above the Verlorenvlei River.
Deposits in the shelter consist of burnt and non-burnt organic residues and ash from hearths, ash dumps and burnt bedding.
The archaeological site of Pinnacle Point, where an international team of researchers found some of the earliest evidence for modern human behaviour, was declared a Provincial Heritage Site in 2012.
Pinnacle Point has also been instrumental in the reconstruction of overall environmental changes over the course of its occupation and scientists have been able to reconstruct the position of the erstwhile sea level.
Cape Argus