Pelitic metasediments of the Witwatersrand Supergroup in the Vredefort Dome contain textural evidence for a twostage metamorphic history. The pressure-temperature (P-T) path derived for the rocks indicates that they were subjected to a high geothermal gradient (~4 0°C km-'), mid-amphibolite facies, M la metamorphic event concomitant with thickening of the overlying upper crust. Peak temperatures of 570-600°C were reached during M l a at depths of 14-16 km. After initial isobaric cooling following Mla, the rocks experienced rapid exhumation during a high strain rate deformation event associated with the formation of the dome. This event led to the development of abundant pseudotachylite and a brittle cleavage in these rocks. These features are overgrown, together with the M la assemblages, by a low P M 1 b paragenesis comprising microporphyroblastic cordierite+biotite. Estimated P-T conditions during M l b were <3.5 kbar, z500-530°C.The two-stage P-T path is incompatible with existing contact metamorphic and diapiric models that have attempted to link the mid-amphibolite facies metamorphism with the formation of the Vredefort Dome. Instead, it indicates that the doming event occurred some time after the peak of a regional low P-high T metamorphic event, during cooling of the terrain. Given an age of 2.02 Ga for the doming event, the M l a event is attributed to a widespread magmaticthermal event on the Kaapvaal Craton that accompanied the formation of the Bushveld Complex at 2.05-2.06 Ga. The M l b event developed in response to the localized exhumation of deep parts of this terrain while the crustal geotherm was still elevated (z 30°C km-'). The association, elsewhere in the dome, of pseudotachylite with shock metamorphic features generated at pressures in excess of 20-120 kbar indicates that exhumation was accomplished by the impact of a large meteorite into the terrain.