News – Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves

Video: Taking a Beating for Science

Climbing, squeezing, dragging, and pushing yourself through tiny passages in a cave can take a serious toll on your body. The cavers and scientists of the Rising Star Expedition though are willing to bash and bruise themselves to recover the broken bones of untold numbers of ancient hominids.

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Tent

After a day off, the team is eager to get back in the cave, and the hominids seem just as eager to get out. The fossil count jumps to 400 and the pop culture references ensue.

What We Know and Don’t Know So Far

John Hawks explains why the biggest questions about the site of the new hominid fossil discovery still have no answers, and why that makes this one of the most important stages of research.

Inside the Cradle of Humankind

Taking a break from the stresses and excitement of the excavation, the team took a day to visit two other sites in the Cradle of Humankind.

The Skull Man Arrives

With the skull pieces drying and nearly ready to reassemble, hominid skull expert Darryl de Ruiter arrives on site and reveals secrets of the trade.