Palaeontology Route
A story under every stone…..
It is almost impossible to believe the dry land of the Karoo was once a vast inland sea. This, along with the Karoo being as old as time, has resulted in many palaeontological discoveries, especially in the surroundings areas of Graaff-Reinet and Nieu Bethesda. Renowned palaeontologist, Andrew Geddes Bain, lived in the area from 1822 and it was here that he discovered the fossil of a large jaw filled with teeth which he named the “Blinkwater Monster”. The fossils found in this area have revealed much of the story of our land since it emerged from the Ice Age around 250 Million years ago.
