Which Tanzanian site preserves 3.6 million-year-old hominid footprints?

The Laetoli footprints are preserved at Laetoli, a prehistoric site in northern Tanzania, and date to about 3.6–3.7 million years ago.

The tracks were made in soft volcanic ash that was later lightly cemented by rain and buried beneath additional ash layers. Mary Leakey's team discovered the hominin trackway in 1976 and excavated it by 1978. The main trail extends for roughly 24 meters and includes footprints from several individuals.

The footprints are important because they show that early hominins walked upright long before the evolution of the large human brain or the widespread use of stone tools. Their heel strike, aligned big toe, and forward-facing foot resemble aspects of modern human walking. Australopithecus afarensis is the species most commonly suggested as the maker, although the identification cannot be proven with absolute certainty.

Laetoli is often confused with Olduvai Gorge, another famous Tanzanian paleoanthropological site located nearby. Olduvai is best known for hominin fossils and stone tools, while Laetoli is celebrated for its ancient footprints.