Origin Stories

This special episode takes you inside the world of archaeology students at Boomplaas Cave, one of South Africa’s flagship human evolution research sites. Led by Dr. Justin Pargeter, the students chronicle their field school journey through personal audio diaries, offering a candid look at the joys, thrills, and challenges of archaeological fieldwork.

Thanks to Justin Pargeter, Monique Niekerk, Asi Ntsodwa, Bacara Spruit, and all the students at Boomplaas Cave field school.

Learn more:

• Justin Pargeter, NYU
• Drone tour of the Boomplaas Cave area
• Human Origins Migration and Evolution Research Group (HOMER)
• Joan Cogswell Donner Field School Scholarship
• Boomplaas Cave (Wikipedia)
• New ages from Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, provide increased resolution on late/terminal Pleistocene human behavioural variability

Credits:

Produced by Ray Pang, Meredith Johnson, and Taylor Cook. Sound design by Ray Pang. Edited by Audrey Quinn

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