Unburied S2E1: When Humanity Became African

25/09/2025 30 min
Unburied S2E1: When Humanity Became African

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Episode Synopsis

100 years ago, a tiny fossil skull in Taung, South Africa rewrote human history. The Taung Skull proved that humankind’s roots lie in Africa, but its story is tangled in colonialism, bias, and forgotten voices.In this season premiere, Unburied digs into how the discovery of Australopithecus Africanus challenged scientific dogma, reshaped our understanding of human origins, and revealed how power shaped the stories we tell about the past. Featuring the voices of geologists, paleoanthropologists, historians, and the Taung community, we uncover what was celebrated, what was erased, and what this fossil still has to teach us.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. Robyn Pickering, PhD — Geologist, University of Cape TownDr. Lauren Schroeder, PhD — Paleoanthropologist, University of TorontoDr. Stephanie Baker, PhD — Anthropologist, University of JohannesburgChrista Kuljian — Research associate; WiSER (WITS)Bahidile “Mike” Dichaba — Community guide, TaungResources & LinksARC: arcdocs.orgHERI: heri.co.zaSAJS Special Issue: https://sajs.co.za/article/view/20667ARC Angel: http://patreon.com/Arc_orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/arcdocs.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arc_docs/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arcdocs.orgSupport the Show Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave us a reviewBecome an ARC Angel on Patreon to support our work directly Follow Us TikTok: @arcdocs.org Instagram: @arc_docs Facebook: ARC Docs 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.Soundbites From: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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.