Unburied S2E4: The Myth of the Explorer
ARC16 Okt 2025

Unburied S2E4: The Myth of the Explorer

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/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arcdocs.org


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


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(106)

Unburied S2E3: The Dark Side of Dart

Unburied S2E3: The Dark Side of Dart

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...

9 Okt 202541min

Unburied S2E2: Pride and Prejudice

Unburied S2E2: Pride and Prejudice

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 h...

2 Okt 202535min

Unburied S2E1: When Humanity Became African

Unburied S2E1: When Humanity Became African

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 forgott...

25 Sep 202530min

Unburied S2 Trailer: The Taung Child

Unburied S2 Trailer: The Taung Child

Unburied is back for season 2: The Taung Child. A century after the fossilised skull of a three-year-old surfaced at the Northern Limeworks in Taung, South Africa, we retrace how a newly found species...

18 Sep 20253min

ARC Interview: What's real about race?

ARC Interview: What's real about race?

In this ARC Interview: "What’s Real About Race?" we speak with Dr. Phila Msimang, a philosopher at Stellenbosch University whose research critically assesses the uses and abuses of group descriptors l...

3 Sep 202544min

ARC Interview: "Never let this happen to anyone, anywhere" - Professor Steven Robbins

ARC Interview: "Never let this happen to anyone, anywhere" - Professor Steven Robbins

In his book Letters of Stone professor Steven Robbins tells the deeply moving story of his quest to find out what happened to the family members he only knew from a picture on the wall of his childhoo...

31 Jul 202541min

ARC Interview: "They will continue to call out until the last one has been put to ground" Brain Miennies

ARC Interview: "They will continue to call out until the last one has been put to ground" Brain Miennies

This is the first in our new episode format: ARC Interviews — conversations with people whose stories and work challenge the way we see the world.We begin with Brain Miennies — community leader, activ...

16 Jul 202529min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
konspirasjonspodden
aftenpodden-usa
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
wolfgang-wee-uncut
grenselos
min-barneoppdragelse
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
synnve-og-vanessa
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
fladseth
alt-fortalt
frokostshowet-pa-p5
198-land-med-einar-trnquist
rss-lilli-isabelle