Early Inhabitants
The earliest origins of humankind came from Africa. Fossil evidence of the evolutionary history of humankind is rich in South Africa, stretching back millions of years. South Africa has been at the forefront of palaeontological research, from 1924, when the Taung child was discovered at the Sterkfontein Caves, to the latest hominid discoveries of hominid fossils in other parts of Southern Africa.
For over a hundred thousand years, modern humans have lived in the region. Bands of stone-age hunter gatherers created a wealth of rock art. These bands were the ancestors of the historical times. The Koisan are often thought of as distinct people. They adapted to the local conditions and scattered the sub-continent. In Southern Africa Bantu-speaking people arrived bringing an iron age culture and domesticated crops. They established themselves in the East coastal region of South Africa. Chiefdoms arose and this was based over control of cattle. These cultures predated European encroachment by several centuries.
