Unburied S2E4: The Myth of the Explorer

Whips, fedoras and cliff-hangers make for great cinema, but they also shape how we tell real scientific stories. In our Season 2 finale, we trace the “explorer” myth from colonial expansion to modern paleoanthropology: why lone-hero narratives persist, how they erase teams and communities, and what that means for places like Taung. We meet artists, chiefs, and scientists re-centering local voices; unpack how discoveries get narrated (and who gets credit); and ask what inclusive science looks like on the ground. This episode was produced in partnership with The Human Evolution Research Institute ( HERI ) and the University of Cape Town and 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. Sheela Athreya, PhD — Biological anthropologist; Associate Professor, Texas A&M University; National Geographic Explorer. Dr. Mirriam Tawane, PhD — Paleoanthropologist; National Heritage Council (South Africa); former Curator, Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology, DITSONG Museum. Dr. Dipuo Kgotleng, PhD — Senior Lecturer & Director, Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg. Kgosi Letsogile Lekwene— Local chief, Buxton (Taung). Lungile Keswa — Artist/curator; Taung Skull study group. Bahidile "Mike" Dichaba — Community guide, Taung. Xola — Community member; Taung Skull study group. Resources & Links: ARC : arcdocs.org HERI : SAJS Special Issue : ARC Angel : Facebook : Instagram : Tiktok : Sound bites from: YouTube: Paramount Movies: INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies YouTube: CBS Sunday Morning: Almanac: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" YouTube: National Geographic: New Human Ancestor Discovered: Homo naledi (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO) | National Geographic YouTube: Al Jazeera English: Africa: States of independence - the scramble for Africa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Unburied S2E4: The Myth of the Explorer is an episode from Sound Africa by ARC.

This episode is 40:49 long.

This episode was published on Oct 16, 2025.

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