Ngorongoro Conservation Area (renomination under cultural criteria)

Les noms des biens figurent dans la langue dans laquelle les Etats parties les ont soumis.

	Tanzanie, République-Unie de (Afrique)
Date de soumission :	28/01/2009
Critères:	(iii)(iv)
Catégorie :	Culturel
Etat, province ou région :	Ngorongoro District, Arusha Region
Ref.:	5420

Description

NCA covers a total area of 829,229.71ha (8,292 Sq.km). Lake Eyasi Rift Valley Escarpment and the agricultural communities of Karatu and Mbulu districts border Ngorongoro on the South. Loliondo Game Controlled Area borders NCA to the north in the Ngorongoro District. The Sale Plains and Lake Natron basin border the area on the North-East and Serengeti National Park on the North and Northwest. To the west Norongoro borders Maswa Game Reserve.

Valeur universelle exceptionnelle

Justification de la Valeur Universelle Exceptionelle

(Ngorongoro Conservation Area, inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1979 under natural criteria, seeks recognition as mixed property, therefore is presented for inscription on the World Heritage List under cultural criteria).

Because the Natural Property is already inscribed on the List since 1979, justification is presented for inscription of the Cultural Property. NCA is the only site in the world with high concentration of wildlife that lives in harmony with human communities of diverse cultural values. The multiple land use systems in this area is one of the earliest to be established around the world as a means of reconciling human development and natural resources conservation.

NCA contains numerous palaeontological, archaeological and anthropological sites of exceptional quality significantly contributing knowledge on the biological evolution of early hominids to anatomically modem humans (from Australopithecus afarensis to Paranthropus (Zinjanthropus)boisei and the Homo lineage that include Homo habilis, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens) and the associated technological evolution with time from about 4m.y.a to the present. The living culture of the Maasai communities identified with the nominated property is of an outstanding significance for effective conservation. Despite the potential on cultural heritage, the property has very high potential for further research on cultural heritage in a secure geological context.

Present in the area are animal trails and hominid footprints uncovered and still preserved at Laetoli site in deposits dated at 3.59 million years ago. These footprints have been interpreted to document early hominid bipedal locomotion during that time.

To date, about 95 hominid remains representing various species genera as well as species have been recovered at the Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge sites (at least 20 species genera from Laetoli site and about 75 from Olduvai Gorge site).

Studies of both the mammalian fossil remains and the geology of the areas have contributed into palaeo environmental and palaeo biogeographic reconstructions of the entire area during Plio-Pleistocene epochs.

Criteria (iii): Ngorongoro Conservation Area site is the only Mixed World Heritage property with well documented record of human biological and cultural evolution spanning the period over the last four million years ago. The property constitutes paleonthropological sites of outstanding universal value which have exhibited layers of facets of combined works of nature and humans over time and still has potential to yield more information on evolution of humans, other animals, and flora while also offering a home to the Maasai people, their livestock and culture.

Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli sites are a relict (or fossil) landscapes considered internationally to be the 'cradle of humankind'. The Lake Ndutu site skull (dated at around 200,000 years Before Present) and the Ngaloba skull (dated at around 120,000 years ago) document the much sought, but not easily discovered transition in human evolution from, Homo erectus through its archaic Homo sapiens that paved the way towards our own humanity, anatomatically Modem Humans (Homo sapiens). A continuum of technological developments illustrated through Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age is documented by fmds recovered from Nasera Rock shelter site. The Burial Mound of Ngorongoro crater documents the history of ancient humans who had value for life after death such that they cared for the dead and who also conducted ritual practices back to 2,000 years Before Present. The uniqueness and values of the property and the Maasai community traditions practiced within the property further qualify the history of the area hence justifying it to be included on the World Heritage List under criteria (iii).

Criteria (iv): The Property has yielded early horninid footprints at Laetoli the oldest testimony in the world testifymg for habitual hominid bipedalism in evolutionary history dated to about 4m.y.a. It also documents most of the world known hominid fossils which include remains of Australopithecus (Zinjanthropus) boisei, Homo habilis, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens which have contributed significantly in the understanding of human origins and their biological development through time. Through the discovery of the Ngaloba skull from Ngaloba site at Laetoli the area further provided a unique opportunity deciphering the transition in hominid evolution, in particular from Homo erectus to Anatomatically Modem Humans also exemplified by findings interpreted to belong to archaic Homo sapiens.

The property illustrates a significant testimony for early hominid technological evolutionary history through time made evident through discovery of Stone tools belonging to the Early, Middle and Later Stone Age technological developments (including the earliest Industrial Techno-complex belonging to Oldowan) and the Iron Age. Palaeo environmental and palaeo biogeographic reconstructions of the entire area during Plio-Pleistocene epochs have also been established and contributes to the understanding of the climate and the ecological changes of the area today.

Discoveries of hominid remains associated with mammal fossil fauna and stone tools which have also led to scientific reconstructions pertaining to early hominid subsistence strategies and patterns contributes to the understanding of some of the primary values of the nominated property in that it provided habitation to hunter gatherers hundred; of years ago. Socio-cultural ties extended to the dead are pined back to 2,000 years ago as exemplified by the evidence yielded by the Ngorongoro burial mounds.

Satements of authenticity and/or integrity

Paleoanthropological Material remains Ngorongoro Conservation Area has very high degree of authenticity. The property is unique due to its great antiquity of humankind preserved in rich paleoanthropological deposits found within the protected natural ecosystem. Basing on the nature of the site formation processes, materials remains have had very little change since the periods when they were last in use and or abandoned. In due regard the sites yielded and are continuing to yield outstanding remains of early hominins and magnificent stone implements documenting technological and biological development of our species, vertebrate fauna, and the environments in which they evolved over the last four million years.

Setting

Ngorongoro Conservation Area has a very high degree of authenticity in terms of location and settings. Approximately about 95% of its location boundaries borders other protected areas such as forest reserves, game reserves and a National Park not withstanding the property itself also being a protected area for wildlife protection and management. There is only one main entrance road to NCA and it operates daily kom 05H00 - 18H00 under serious control and surveillance. This ensures limited encroachment to the property. Due to its setting the cultural landscape has remained intact since the first fossil assemblages were documented almost a century ago by Dr. Hans Reck.

Traditions and management systems

NCA has continued to function as a home for the Maasai communities who have continued to co exist with the wild game without jeopardizing their culture. The Maasai have continued to graze their domesticated animals within the wild game and their warrior nature has contributed to conservation of the property. However, being a living community has paved the way to introduction of some modem building materials in the area and plans for their management is well spelt in the Management Plan of the Property.

Comparison with other similar properties

Dense and diverse occurrences of paleoanthropological remains integrated with natural heritage resources in the nominated property share a number of unique characteristics and values with other listed World Heritage properties with similar paleontological, paleoanthropological and archaeological importance. These include: The Awash Basin, Awash Valley, Ethiopia, the Lower Valley of the Omo, Ethiopia, Lake Turkana National Park, Kenya, Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai, South Africa.

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