Bone Detectives – Reading the bones of our ancestors

The bones of our human ancestors hold many stories about our voyage through evolution. Fossil records provide clues to our diets and how we moved, and this wealth of information can be obtained from often small and incomplete pieces of bone.

Join Maropeng and Wits University up-and-coming scientist Brendon Billings on a fascinating journey of discovery, guided by the clues offered by fossils. Become detectives and reconstruct the history of our species.

On this tour, you will have the opportunity to compare different types of hominid bones, which will help you to understand the hominoid skeletal anatomy and learn how to identify fossil remains.

You will also be able to participate in an active observation class, where you will be asked to comment on and identify different fossil species.

The tour ends with a walk through Sterkfontein Caves with experienced tour guide Reuben Tsime, allowing visitors to develop an appreciation of the geological context within which fossils are uncovered.

Enjoy a fantastic picnic buffet lunch overlooking the beautiful Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, which provides a poignant reminder of the landscape upon which the human evolutionary story began and continues to play out.

This tour is ideally suited for anyone with a passion for science or those who want to expand their knowledge on human evolution through an introduction into the toolkit used to identify fossil species. The tour will start at 09h00 at Sterkfontein Caves. The cost of the tour is R350 per person and includes the picnic lunch.

Accommodation special

Why not combine the event with an overnight stay at the luxurious Maropeng Boutique Hotel? This special includes dinner, bed and breakfast as well as the Bone Detectives picnic and walking tour.  Contact . to book this special.

Please note this tour will only take place if there is a minimum of seven people.

Book online