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Field SchoolDuke in South Africa Paleoanthropology Field SchoolField School Dates: May 20 - July 1, 2006 University, College, Institution Duke University, Durham NC Field School overview
Project DirectorsDr. Steven Churchill Associate Professor and Chair Biological Anthropology & Anatomy Duke University Field School DescriptionThe 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 Evening Lectures: This is a 2 course field school with 1 day of the week set out for lecture and lab Academic, Credit Room and Board, & TuitionAcademic 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 contactDr. Jill RhodesResearch Associate Box 90383 Biological Anthropology and Anatomy Duke University Durham, NC 27708-0383 (919) 660-7392 (office) (191) 660-7348 (fax) safieldschool@duke.edu SummaryStudents 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 studentshttp: www.aas.duke.edu/study_abroad/yosa/postcards/0201garcia_alfredo.html
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