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South Africa - Duke in South Africa Paleoanthropology Field School PDF Print E-mail

Field School

Duke in South Africa Paleoanthropology Field School

Application Deadline: Filled
Field School Dates: May 20 - July 1, 2006

University, College, Institution

Duke University, Durham NC
South Africa

Field School overview

  • Field School Type: Excavation
  • Time Period(s) Middle Stone Age (MSA) Plio-Pleistocene
  • Field School conditions: Bush camp on a nature reserve
  • Field School access: Short drive to site
  • Number of years for field school: 6

Project Directors


Dr. Steven Churchill
Associate Professor and Chair
Biological Anthropology & Anatomy
Duke University

Field School Description

The Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy (BAA) and the Office of Study Abroad offer a six-week, two-course, field-study program in the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The program, directed by Associate Professor Steven Churchill of Duke University, gives students hands-on training in the field of paleoanthropology while conducting excavation and survey in a variety of paleontological contexts.

Our plans for the 2006 season (subject to change) include excavation at a number of sites across South Africa. Students will spend approximately two and a half weeks excavating at Plovers Cave, in Late Pleistocene deposits that have produced remains of early modern humans. Plovers Cave is located in the Cradle of Humankind world heritage site. Approximately one and a half weeks will be spent excavating for fossils of early (Late Cretaceous and Paleocene) primates in the Pafuri Triangle of the Northern Kruger Park. One week will be spent excavating Plio-Pleistocene deposits in the Free State.

Accomodation will vary by location, but students can expect to spend most of the trip living in tent campes in the bush. This will allow them to explore modern African ecology firsthand. They will see original human fossils, such as the Taung child and "Mrs. Ples", in the collections of the University of the Witwatersrand and the Transvaal Museum. Additional experience will be gained by visiting the important fossil sites of Sterkfontein, Kromdraai, Drimolen and Gladysvale. Students will explore the diverse environments of southern Africa during excursions to Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope.

Through lectures and laboratories, students will learn about the prehistory and paleoecology of the region. Game drives, bush walks, and structured exercises in the field will add depth to the experience. While the program is ideally suited for students with a strong interest in archeology and prehistory, its strong focus on the geology and modern ecology of southern Africa makes it appropriate for anyone interested in natural science.

The Duke program allows students to participate in and directly contribute to on-going fieldwork being conducted in southern Africa.


Field school web site: www.baa.duke.edu/fieldschool/index.html

 

Field School Size: 1-15
Minimum age: College-level
Is prior experience required?: No

Specialized skills you will have the opportunity to learn

Total Station EDM mapping: Yes
Compass mapping survey: Yes
GIS: Yes
Excavation Survey Techniques: Yes
Soils: Yes
Fauna identification: Yes
Flora identification: Yes

Evening Lectures: This is a 2 course field school with 1 day of the week set out for lecture and lab

Additional information for students: The area of South Africa we will be in is in a summer-rainfall zone. We will be there in winter, so rain is uncommon. Travel is restricted on days off as we will be in a remote bush location. However, we do try to get students into town on days off.

Academic, Credit Room and Board, & Tuition


Academic Credit: Yes
Number of Credits: 2 course credits (each course is equivalent to 4 credit hours) $5744

Room and Board Information: There is a $544 program fee and this, combined with your tuition fees, covers accommodations and meals, and all scheduled field trips with transportation provided for the group.

Archaeology field school contact

Dr. Jill Rhodes
Research Associate
Box 90383
Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0383
(919) 660-7392 (office)
(191) 660-7348 (fax)
safieldschool@duke.edu

Summary

Students excavate in actual fossil-bearing strata and contribute directly towards on-going research being conducted in Southern Africa. Duke field school students from previous years have found fossil-hominin remains at both Cooper's Cave and Plover's Lake.

You'll also get the opportunity to visit the 'Broom room' at the Transvaal Museum and the fossil vault at the University of the Witwatersrand to see the original hominin fossils including Mrs. Ples.

Quotes from former students

http: www.aas.duke.edu/study_abroad/yosa/postcards/0201garcia_alfredo.html