Erongo Complex

Pension Rapmund

Swakopmund

Namibia

June 4, 2024

Hello,

Are you a Mineral Collector?  The Erongo Complex is The Place!

The granite hosted pegmatites of the Erongo Volcanic Complex in central Namibia are well known for the wide variety of minerals present, of considerable interest to mineral collectors. These include (amongst others) often spectacular, museum quality examples of beryl, schorl, jeremejevite, fluorite, quartz, goethite and cassiterite. The locality is particularly recognized for hosting a variety of beryl types, including green, yellow (heliodor), colorless (goshenite) and blue/greenish blue (aquamarine) variants.

My tour group stopped at a Mineral Market here in the Erongo Complex.  The serious geologists among us purchased large mineral specimens suitable for proud display in home or office.

I purchased a small plastic "sampler" box filled with a couple dozen tiny yet colorful specimens.  One day soon I will download an app and learn their names.

Jan

There’s something for everyone at the Erongo Complex:

The Erongo complex in Namibia has a history that includes geological events, the presence of early humans, and the creation of rock art: 

• Geological events

The Erongo complex was created by a series of geological events related to the break-up of the Gondwana Supercontinent and the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean 137–124 million years ago. The complex is made up of a central massif of volcanic rocks and peripheral granite intrusions. 

• Early humans

Homo erectus lived in the region 300,000–500,000 years ago. The weathered granite of the Erongo complex provided shelter for early Bushmen, who also used the granite walls to create rock art depicting hunting scenes and rituals. 

• Rock art

The Leopard Cave in the Erongo complex contains rock art created by hunter-gatherers 2,000–4,000 years ago. 

• Mineralization

The Erongo complex hosts a variety of mineralizations, including tungsten, tin, fluorite, beryllium, gold, and uranium. 

• Landscape

The Erongo complex features a striking landscape with large domes, arches, boulders, weathering pits, and shallow caves.