Early man first began to experiment with stone
tools around 50,000 BC. Evidence suggests that Homo sapiens finally
mastered stone-making techniques and the use of fire around 10,000
BC. Also during this New Stone Age period, early humans developed
a basic language and began to form communities organized around
hunting and gathering. These hunter-gatherers, or ramapithecus,
dug roots and berries, harvested nuts, shoots, eggs, insects, and
fruits, and hunted live animals. This pattern of life remained unchanged
in some areas for thousands of years.
Archeological evidence and written records are the two primary sources
of historical information about Kenya. The written records focus
on the coastal region primarily because of its rich history of trade
with the southern Arab nations. The Kenyan interior, however, remained
undocumented prior to the 19th century. The arrival of the Europeans
brought an end to the mystery of this diverse region of the world.
Archeology reveals the secret of the development of civilization
in the Kenyan heartland, The Rift Valley, which runs through the
center of Kenya, has long been regarded as the ‘cradle of
civilization’. Charles Darwin perpetuated this theory in his
work On The Origin of Species. Darwin's theory that humans and the
higher apes probably had a common ancestor led to the conclusion
that humankind originated where the apes were found: East Africa.
Early archeological discoveries at Lake Turkana in Kenya, at the
Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, and along the Kagera River in Uganda
support Darwin's guesswork with hard evidence.
Ancient hominoid, or human-like skulls dating back 21/2 million
years were discovered at these sites. Although archeologists believe
there were originally at least three different species of hominid
roaming the plains of Kenya, evidence suggests only one species
evolved and developed into Homo sapiens. The Rift Valley region,
therefore, earns the distinction in most archeological circles as
the area where man first stood upright and began his life-long quest
for food and water.
Many facts about the early civilization that evolved in Kenya were
established by Mary and Louis Leakey through their extensive excavations
beginning in the 1930's. The Leakeys uncovered fossil remains of
the "Nutcracker Man" or Zinjanthropus Borsei, an early
apeman. In addition, another ground-breaking discovery was the "Handy
Man" or Homo habilis, a 10,000 - 12,000 year old ancestor of
modern man. Although much remains to be discovered, the pioneering
work of the Leakeys established many of the early archeological
facts about the origins of man.