The Culture and Museum Center Karonga

The Cultural and Museum Centre Karonga (CMCK), commonly called Karonga Museum is located in Karonga district in northern Malawi. The central exhibition entitled ‘Malawi from Dinosaurs to Democracy’ focuses on 240 million years of Karonga via milestones such as prehistoric landscapes, animals and early humans and their way of life; archaeological records; history of slave trade and the colonial era; Malawi under Dr. Banda; and culture and traditions of Karonga people. The main exhibit is a life-size replica skeleton of the Malawisaurus (Malawi Lizard), whose virtually intact 120-million-year-old fossil skeleton was discovered in 1924 in Karonga District. There is also a superb sequence of displays on human evolution, including a replica of the 2.5-million-year-old Hominid’s jawbone discovered near Chilumba in 1991. It is the world’s oldest-known relic of the genus Homo (the same genus as modern humans). Apart from being the home of the oldest fossils ever to be found in Malawi, the facility acts as a Center for Field Research and it co-operates in international projects. With its unique concept, the Karonga Museum is a key factor for promoting appreciation of Malawi's Cultural & Natural heritage by educational development and research.

Malawisaurus (Malawi lizard) on display at the Cultural Museum Centre Karonga