Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site, Lake Nakuru National Park

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Several years ago a mighty migration of flamingos to Lake Nakuru swarmed upon the still waters of the lake, dubbed as "the greatest bird spectacle on earth." Today, these flamingos make this beautiful lake their home. Around the lake, volcanic craters and mountains fall and rise, creating a spectacular contrast of visual enormity and proportion. This place of beauty paints the setting of Hyrax Hill, prehistoric site at Lake Nakuru.

Four kilometers from Nakuru town center, Hyrax Hill, prehistoric site at Lake Nakuru, is found; 4.5 kilometers in girth, its base 100 meters above the level of the gentle surface of the lake. In 1926 this site first became noticed for its prehistoric value when paleontologist Louis Leakey discovered evidence of prehistoric habitation. Several years later, his wife Mary noticed more evidence of habitation; a walled fort and a group of pits. Resultant excavations at Hyrax Hill, prehistoric site at Lake Nakuru, revealed three more prehistoric settlements dating back 3,000 years. Other chilling and mysterious evidence found includes the remains of 19 beheaded bodies that were laid to rest in an unusual posture and the long-forgotten tombs where ancient people were laid to rest.

The site was declared a national monument in 1943 and a museum was established in 1965, where you see how modern humans have tried to make sense of the remains of the bodies and the ways of life of these ancient people. Walking amongst these ruins, you experience the chill of walking on a site of a major Neolithic and Iron Age settlement, and you wonder what life might have been like in times such as those; times of the ancient Swahili, of trade routes and fiercely defended, walled cities. You are given a glimpse into the lives of prehistoric humans that lived here; how they lived and how they survived the harsh elements; how they innovated, what they invented, what they ate and how they hunted, farmed and cooked, leaving you fascinated at the history of humans that is taken for granted every day in a modern technological age. Evidence of the 'Bao' game carved into a rock exists, providing you with a fascinating glimpse into the history of these people. The Hyrax museum contains artifacts of this prehistoric settlement, and is an intriguing visit. Guided tours offer an interesting perspective on these discoveries. Vast views of lake Nakuru and the hills beyond stretch out from this fascinating hill, with a massive blue sky overhead.