Why go
The skull known as Broken Hill Man, or Kabwe 1, was found in the mine in 19211, and the company’s managing director sent the human remains to the British Museum2. In Kabwe itself, Zambia Tourism’s list of historic sites notes that the fossil find is commemorated by a memorial at the municipal offices3.
What you will see
The council describes a replica of the Broken Hill Man and a bust4 on the monument. The sculptural bust was installed in 20222 at the Civic Centre, in commemorative work involving the Cultural Heritage Organising Committee, a group of Kabwe-based artists, and Kabwe Municipal Council.
The plaque is inscribed in both English and Bemba4. The find it marks dates to 17 June 19212, when the Swiss miner Tom Zwiglaar documented a human skull at the back of the cavern after a worker struck it with a pickaxe.
Visiting
Before mining, the find spot at No. 1 Kopje was 15–18 m high with the Bone Cavern at ground level, and mining activity has since destroyed the site. In September 20192, Zambia issued Statutory Instruments Nos. 56 and 57 to protect the discovery site of Kabwe Man and the nearby Kabwe Mine Museum site.
Getting there
Kabwe is on the T2 road, the Great North Road, which runs north to Kapiri Mposhi and south to Lusaka. The country’s first railway reached Broken Hill mine as early as 19061. Once in town, head for the Civic Centre2, where the bust stands.
Nearby
The Big Tree, which Zambia Tourism lists among the country’s historic monuments, is a Cape fig with a massive canopy3 on the east side of Broadway; it served as a meeting place in the township’s early years.
The Broken Hill mine, which began in 19063 as one of the first mines in Zambia, occupies a site 1 km south-west of the town centre1.
