Fish Hoek Man

Inside Peers’ Cave, overlooking Fish Hoek – Photo courtesy ifijay

There are some very old residents in Cape Town’s coastal village, Fish Hoek, which lies in a valley on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula. There’s one particular resident who’s been around for the past 12 000 years!

Amateur archaeologist Victor Peers discovered fossilised male remains on an ancient burial site in 1927. Peers and his son, Bertie, who were residents of Fish Hoek, excavated a cave, now known as Peers’ Cave (at the time known as “Skildergat”, over several years. In the cave, they discovered Khoisan rock art, stone tools, and the buried remains of nine people, one of whom is fondly known today as “Fish Hoek Man”. A visit to the Fish Hoek Valley Museum will give you more information on this interesting fossil. Contact the museum on +27 (0)21 782 1752.

Scuttle up the dunes above 19th Avenue to reach Peers’ Cave, where panoramic views across the valley make it worth the effort. It’s safest to hike in a group, or ask the museum for a guided walk, during which you’ll learn more about the Stone Age cave-dwellers of Fish Hoek.

Contact Cape Town Tourism’s office in Muizenberg on +27(0)21 787 9140, or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for excellent local information, as well as recommendations on guides, accommodation, restaurants and activities.