Cultural and Museum Centre Karonga in Karonga, Malawi, is a vibrant cultural institution dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich heritage of the region.
The centre features various exhibits that highlight the natural history, archaeology, and cultural traditions of the Karonga District and surrounding areas.
Notably, it houses fossil remains of the Malawisaurus, a dinosaur species discovered in the region, making it a significant site for both educational and scientific exploration.
The Cultural and Museum Centre Karonga (CMCK), commonly called Karonga Museum was constructed through EU funding and officially opened by then President Bingu wa Mutharika in November 2004.
The museum has a history of how the county moved from ‘Dinosaurs to Democracy’ focusing on 240 million years of Karonga through milestones such as prehistoric landscapes, animals and early humans and their way of life, archaeological records, history of slave trade and colonial era, Malawi under Dr. Banda, culture and traditions of Karonga people.
The main exhibit is a life-size replica skeleton of the Malawisaurus (Malawi Lizards), 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.
The main exhibit is a life-size replica skeleton of the Malawisaurus (Malawi Lizards), 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.
The building that houses the Cultural Centre and the museum was constructed in 2004 for K30 million (US$276 000) was inspired by the excavated bones of the Malawisaurus that is the feature at the museum.
During 2014, weather damage threatened the collection of fossils and other artefacts held at the centre.
The building was designed by British Architect Kevin M Davies (BA (Hons) Dip Arch (Comm) RIBA ARB MIA Director and Chartered Architect), and is one of his most cherished projects.
The collection, preservation and display of the artefacts is undertaken by the Department of Antiquities, under the Department of Culture, in the Ministry of Information, Tourism, and Culture in conjunction with the Uraha Foundation.
The emphasis of the Cultural Exhibition component is on community participation, local traditional and community leaders were urged to assist in assembling the different collections for exhibition.
The museum has a central exhibition which is dominated by the 130-million-year-old fossil of the Malawisaurus, which was discovered 45 km south from the centre site.
