6. Olduvai Gorge’s Old Man
Location: Tanzania’s Arusha Region’s Ngorongoro District
Discovered in 1911
Est. Value: Incalculable
In 1911, German physician Wilhelm Kattwinkel was exploring the sleeping sickness parasite while he was in East Africa. There, in what would become known as Olduvai Gorge, he discovered the fossils of an extinct three-toed horse. Scientists descended upon the region when Kattwinkel informed other German experts about his discovery.
Primarily, the Olduvai Gorge is one of the most significant paleontological sites on Earth. © Shutterstock/Yakov Oskanov
We have learned so much about early humans from the Tanzanian site, where hominid remains from 17,000 B.C. have been discovered. There was also proof of the use of stone tools, scavenging, hunting, and other activities. It is estimated that Olduvai was home to early human beings 1.9 million years ago.