Unburied S1E1: Open Graves and Humans on Display

In 1907, an Austrian anthropologist rode into the Kalahari on an oxwagon and left with bones from more than 170 human beings. This episode begins our investigation into Rudolf Pöch — the man who (unwittingly or not) helped pioneer race science, the communities he studied (and exploited), and the legacy of human remains kept in museum boxes today.

We follow Pöch’s trail through the red dunes of the Kalahari, to the archives of Vienna, and into the lives of those living with his legacy. Featuring interviews with community activist Brian Mienies, Rietfontein resident Willie Philander, and historians Walter Sauer and Sophie Schasiepen, this episode asks: why did Rudolf Pöch take all those bones from the Kalahari?

Unburied is a production by ARC in partnership with Iziko Museums of South Africa.

Written, produced and sound designed by Rasmus Bitsch and Neil Liddell.

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