
Visiting Laetoli Footprints
Visiting Laetoli Footprints : All You Need To Know Before You Go : One of the most significant palaeontological sites in Africa is Laetoli. It is situated far north of Lake Eyasi and on the southern edge of the Serengeti Plains, within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Precambrian metamorphic rocks cover a lengthy sequence of Plio-Pleistocene, primarily volcano-sedimentary deposits rich in archeological and paleontological artifacts.
While Laetoli gained notoriety in the 1970s due to notable finds like the holotype and other remains, the area’s paleoanthropological significance has been acknowledged since the mid-1930s. With signs of early bipedal hominids dating back 3.6 million years, it has remarkable evidence. A couple of million years ago, in the region of Laetoli, two of our ancestors strolled through damp volcanic ash. The earliest human footprints were covered and preserved when the neighboring volcano erupted again.
The world’s earliest known footprints of early human ancestors are the Laetoli footprints. Archaeologists claim that three different tracks from an upright-walking hominid known as Australopithecus afarensis can be found in the Laetoli Footprints. There are roughly 70 early human footprint impressions throughout the nearly 27-meter-long footprint track. These footprints are replicated at the Olduvai Museum.
A few fossils were discovered during the 1920s study of the Laetoli region by German entomologist Kohl Larsen. Excavations were carried out in 1978 and 1979 after a team led by Mary Leakey found the hominid footprints in 1974. Scholars interested in the origins of humans and the evolution of culture are welcome to visit the site. Each year, over fifty locations, including different geological bed exposures, are visited by researchers from domestic and international universities.
CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION
The Laetoli prints were recorded and then reburied in 1979. This preservation technique was novel at the time. The property was re-vegetated with acacia trees. causing worries about root growth to arise. In 1992, a GCI-Tanzanian team looked at this. The footprints had been destroyed by roots, as they discovered when they dug a 3-by-3-meter trench. On the other hand, the portion of the trackway that was spared from root growth was in good condition. The utilization of reburying for site preservation has increased as a result of this experiment’s success.
In 1993, Laetoli’s footsteps were followed to halt erosion. New casts were made, and the old pathway was rebuilt. The new cast served as a guide for the re-excavation operations in the area because the walkway is fairly brittle. A team of experts, among them Fiona Marshall, excavated half of the pathway once more in order to record its state, stabilize the surface, remove any dead roots, and replace them with man-made geotextile materials that protect the trackway’s surface from root development and allow it to breathe.
Proposals have been made to elevate the track and relocate it to a restricted area. Nevertheless, the risks and expenses outweigh the advantages; a substantial sum of money and in-depth research would be needed, not to mention the possibility of loss or damage. Consequently, it appears that burial is the most effective preservation technique.

HOW DO I ARRIVE AT THIS LOCATION?
Olduvai Museum and Laetoli are connected by a highly rugged 4WD-only track that passes through Endulen and Noorkisaruni Kopje. From Kimba, on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, a much better road hugs the southern flank of Makarot, leading to Endulen. Laetoli is located 9 km from Endulen by any route.
The easiest way to explore the Laetoli footprint is to combine it with a safari package or itinerary that includes a visit to the Serengeti National Park and other northern Tanzanian safari sites, like Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara. You can also include a trip to Lake Natron to see the flamingos and Oldoinyo Lengai mountain, as well as a trip to Lake Eyasi to meet the Hadzabe and Datoga locals, for an amazing experience.