Treasure Trove of Ancient Human Footprints Found Near Volcano

by Michael Greshko via “National Geographic“

Nine miles from the volcano the Maasai call the “Mountain of God,” researchers have cataloged a spectacularly rare find: an enormous set of well-preserved human footprints left in the mud between 5,000 and 19,000 years ago.

The more than 400 footprints cover an area slightly larger than a tennis court, crisscrossing the dark gray mudflat of Engare Sero, on the southern shore of Tanzania’s Lake Natron. No other site in Africa has as many ancient Homo sapiens footprints—making it a treasure trove for scientists trying to tell the story of humankind’s earliest days. . . .

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Cultural Sensitivity Debate

New Question for my Readers:

Hawaii is, of course, one of the prime centers for volcano eruptions, as is apparently happening on Honolulu right now.  The volcano Kilauea has been steadily flowing lava since 1983, and over time it has destroyed almost 200 homes in the area.  Usually the lava and the people choosing to live on the volcano have an okay relationship, with the lava flowing in directions that don’t threaten the small communities nearby.  However, every so often  it changes its mind and begins edging in on the towns.