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’s African origins, yet it unfolded within a world built on racism, colonial power, and exploitation. From Mapungubwe’s golden treasures to Johannesburg’s mining compounds, we trace how Dart’s legacy entwined brilliance with harm: collecting human remains like specimens, his efforts to claim the body of a young San woman named Kiri-Kiri, and reinforcing systems that dehumanised the people he studied. This episode was produced in partnership with The Human Evolution Research Institute ( HERI ) and the University of Cape Town. This series 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. Rebecca Ackermann, PhD — Biological anthropologist, University of Cape Town; Co-Director, Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) Dr. Lauren Schroeder, PhD — Paleoanthropologist; University of Toronto Dr. Mirriam Tawane, PhD — Curator of Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology, DITSONG: National Museum of Natural History (Pretoria). Christa Kuljian — Research associate; WiSER (WITS) Nashada Ndango - Guide; San Heritage Center !Khwa ttu Resources & Links ARC : arcdocs.org HERI : SAJS Special Issue : ARC Angel : Facebook : Instagram : Tiktok : Support the Show ●

You can listen to Unburied S2E3: The Dark Side of Dart online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Unburied S2E3: The Dark Side of Dart is an episode from Sound Africa by ARC.

This episode is 41:52 long.

This episode was published on Oct 9, 2025.

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