In 1924, a mineworker in Taung likely held the fossilized skull of a three-year-old child before anyone else. That child, later named the Taung Child, would change science forever. Yet the man whose hands first touched the fossil remains unknown, while the credit went to Professor Raymond Dart.
In this episode, Unburied unearths the hidden histories of colonial mining, scientific prejudice, and racial bias entwined with the discovery of the Taung Skull. We trace how exploitation created the conditions for discovery, yet denied recognition to those who did the work. Along the way, we revisit the Piltdown Man hoax that blinded scientists to Africa’s role in human origins, and we confront Dart’s troubling ties to race science.
Through the voices of geologists, anthropologists, historians, and community members, we reveal a story not only about fossils, but about who gets written into history… and who is left out.
This episode was produced in partnership with The Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) and the University of Cape Town.
This series draws on original research published in the South African Journal of Science special issue, “The Taung Child then and now: Commemorating its centenary in a postcolonial age.”
Special thanks to our guests in this episode:
Dr. Rieneke Weij, PhD — Geologist, University of Johannesburg
Dr. Stephanie Baker, PhD — Anthropologist, University of Johannesburg
Dr. Lauren Schroeder, PhD — Paleoanthropologist, University of Toronto
Prof. Alan Morris, PhD — Physical anthropologist, University of Cape Town (Emeritus)
Prof. Rebecca Ackermann, PhD — Biological anthropologist, University of Cape Town; Co-Director, Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI)
Christa Kuljian — Research associate; WiSER (WITS)
Bahidile "Mike" Dichaba — Community guide, Taung
Resources & Links:
ARC: arcdocs.org
HERI: https://www.heriuct.co.za
SAJS Special Issue: https://sajs.co.za/article/view/20667
ARC Angel: http://patreon.com/Arc_org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arcdocs.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arc_docs/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arcdocs.org
Sound bites from:
YouTube: The Leakey Foundation: 1973 Louis Leakey Memorial Symposium held by The Leakey Foundation in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences on December 2-3, 1973.
YouTube: ThamesTv: 1960s South Africa | Apartheid | Nadine Gordimer | Industry | This Week | 1968
YouTube: PeriscopeFilm: 1940s SOUTH AFRICA TRAVELOGUE KIMBERLY DIAMOND MINES & GOLD MINES 43254
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