Olduvai Gorge, an archeological site, is located in the eastern Serengeti in northern Tanzania within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The gorge is a steep sided 4 to 8 km (30 mile) long ravine, which forms part of the Great Rift Valley. It is situated on a series of fault lines which, along with centuries of erosion, has revealed fossils and remnants of early humankind. 

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Olduvai Gorge are the only places in which humans and animals have co-existed for millions of years. Ngorongoro conservation area has a diversity of landscape features, a diversity of wildlife and a diversity of vegetation. One of the last populations of the black rhinos in East Africa is also found in area. In addition, the famous archaeological sites - Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge are also situated within conservation area. Owing to its uniqueness Ngorongoro Conservation Area has been designated as a world heritage site.

Laetoli Story. The study of the fossils of human ancestors called hominids and that of their foot prints which have remained intact for millions of years has enabled archaeologists to put together an amazing story about the human ancestors of Laetoli. The volcanic ash covered the footprints and this is why they have stayed undisturbed for million of years.

Olduvai Gorge.  Olduvai is one of East Africa’s most famous archaeological sites. As with Laetoli, volcanic ash played a decisive role in preserving the remains and food prints of the human

ancestors for millions of years.

The first European who helped in exciting curiosity of the archeologists on Olduvai Gorge was a German called professor Kattwinkel. In 1911, he found a fossil off the eroded slope of the gorge. The specimen of this fossil piqued the interest of Hans Reck who found a human fossil in the gorge in 1913. The fossil eventually came to the attention of a Kenyan born Louis S.B. Leaky. Dr. Leaky believed the gorge would provide an evidence pertaining to the origins of humans.

From then on Dr. Leakey and his wife Mary undertook a life time study of the Olduvai fossils as well as well as that of the remains of stone tools. On July 17 1959, Mary discovered a complete Zinjanthropus skull. Some months later, they came upon remains of bones of a hominid they called “Homo Habilis" (Handy man) because they believed he made and used tools. The Tools he used included: pebbles and cobbles with sharp cutting edges, and flakes that were stone equivalents of modern razors. The use of these tools greatly ensured his survival, for then he started supplementing his plant died with meat from animals he hunted.

The name Olduvai originated from a European misspelling of Oldupai, the correct Maasai word for this region of great historical importance – named after the wild sisal plant fibre growing in abundance in the gorge.