Origin Stories

Field School Diaries

This special episode takes you inside the world of archaeology students at Boomplaas Cave, one of South Africa’s flagship human evolution research sites. Led by Dr. Justin Pargeter, the students chronicle their field school journey through personal audio diaries, offering a candid look at the joys, thrills, and challenges of archaeological fieldwork. Thanks to Justin Pargeter, Monique Niekerk, Asi Ntsodwa, Bacara Spruit, and all the students at Boomplaas Cave field school. Learn more: <a href="https://as.nyu.edu/faculty/justin-pargeter.html">Justin Pargeter, NYU</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ7HJ5Xdceg">Drone tour of the Boomplaas Cave area</a> <a href="https://jamiehodgkins.wixsite.com/mysite/homer">Human Origins Migration and Evolution Research Group (HOMER)</a> <a href="https://leakeyfoundation.org/grants/fieldschool/">Joan Cogswell Donner Field School Scholarship</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomplaas_Cave">Boomplaas Cave</a> (Wikipedia) <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/brianstewart/wp-content/uploads/sites/62/2018/03/New-ages-from-Boomplaas-Cave-South-Africa-provide-increased-resolution-on-late-terminal-Pleistocene-human-behavioural-variability.pdf"> New ages from Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, provide</a> <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/brianstewart/wp-content/uploads/sites/62/2018/03/New-ages-from-Boomplaas-Cave-South-Africa-provide-increased-resolution-on-late-terminal-Pleistocene-human-behavioural-variability.pdf"> increased resolution on late/terminal Pleistocene human</a> <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/brianstewart/wp-content/uploads/sites/62/2018/03/New-ages-from-Boomplaas-Cave-South-Africa-provide-increased-resolution-on-late-terminal-Pleistocene-human-behavioural-variability.pdf"> behavioural variability</a> Credits: Produced by Ray Pang, Meredith Johnson, and Taylor Cook. Sound design by Ray Pang. Edited by Audrey Quinn Support the show: Love Origin Stories? Here's your chance to double the impact! Every dollar you donate helps us explore and explain our shared human origins, and right now, every donation will be matched! <a href="https://leakeyfoundation.org/originstories/?form=originstories23">Click here to donate</a>!

Explore human evolution one story at a time. This award-winning show blends storytelling with science that will change your understanding of who we are.