Whips, fedoras and cliff-hangers make for great cinema, but they also shape how we tell real scientific stories. In our Season 2 finale, we trace the “explorer” myth from colonial expansion to modern paleoanthropology: why lone-hero narratives persist, how they erase teams and communities, and what that means for places like Taung. We meet artists, chiefs, and scientists re-centering local voices; unpack how discoveries get narrated (and who gets credit); and ask what inclusive science looks like on the ground.

This episode was produced in partnership with The Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) and the University of Cape Town and 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:

• Prof. Sheela Athreya, PhD — Biological anthropologist; Associate Professor, Texas A&M University; National Geographic Explorer.
• Dr. Mirriam Tawane, PhD — Paleoanthropologist; National Heritage Council (South Africa); former Curator, Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology, DITSONG Museum.
• Dr. Dipuo Kgotleng, PhD — Senior Lecturer & Director, Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg.
• Kosi Litsukhulele Kueni — Local chief, Buxton (Taung).
• Lungile Keswa — Artist/curator; Taung Skull study group.
• Bahidile "Mike" Dichaba — Community guide, Taung.
• Xola — Community member; Taung Skull study group.

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/

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Sound bites from:

YouTube: Paramount Movies: INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies

YouTube: CBS Sunday Morning: Almanac: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

YouTube: National Geographic: New Human Ancestor Discovered: Homo naledi (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO) | National Geographic

YouTube: Al Jazeera English: Africa: States of independence - the scramble for Africa

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Behind one of science’s greatest breakthroughs lies a darker story of skulls measured, bodies taken, and lives diminished in the name of science. The discovery of the Taung Child helped prove humanity’s African origins, yet it unfolded within a world built on racism, colonial power, and exploitation. From Mapungubwe’s golden treasures to Johannesburg’s mining compounds, we trace how Dart’s legacy entwined brilliance with harm: collecting human remains like specimens, his efforts to claim the body of a young San woman named Kiri-Kiri, and reinforcing systems that dehumanised the people he studied.

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:

• Prof. Rebecca Ackermann, PhD — Biological anthropologist, University of Cape Town; Co-Director, Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI)
• Dr. Lauren Schroeder, PhD — Paleoanthropologist; University of Toronto
• Dr. Mirriam Tawane, PhD — Curator of Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology, DITSONG: National Museum of Natural History (Pretoria).
• Christa Kuljian — Research associate; WiSER (WITS)
• Nashada Ndango - Guide; San Heritage Center !Khwa ttu

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

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Unburied is a production by ARC in partnership with the University of Cape Town and the Human Evolution Research Institute. Written, produced, and sound designed by Rasmus Bitsch and Neil Liddell. Hosted by Rasmus Bitsch, journalist and podcast creator.

Sound bites from:

YouTube - danaoja - Germany Invades Poland-France and Britain Declares War

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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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