The cradle of humankind world heritage site is a unique area that probably tells us more about the history of our earliest ancestors than any place of a comparable size elsewhere in the world. This title facilitates the spread of the knowledge we have gained in the field thus far. It tells us something of the world in which our ancestors lived; provides a guide to all the known hominid species; details all the sites within the area and describes its animals and plants, both past and present, to give the reader a context in which to understand who we are and where we have come from.

The cradle of humankind tells us more about the history of our earliest ancestors than any place of comparable size elsewhere in the world. The guide to Sterkfontein and the Cradle of humankind describes how the puzzle fits together, and allows the reader to gain an understanding of the discoveries made in this World Heritage Site, and their significance in the evolutionary chain of life. It features the many important fossilised remains found at the various sites in the Cradle of Humankind, explains how caves and fossils are formed, and introduces the reader to the extinct mammals that once roamed the plains of the area.