News and Events
In the Footsteps of Our Ancestors
Dear Friend of IHO,
I am thrilled to be able to offer you this extraordinary opportunity to accompany me on a luxurious, rewarding, and educational trip to South Africa, November 3 – 16, 2008. I believe this is perhaps the single best safari (trip in Swahili) the Institute of Human Origins has ever organized. In the Footsteps of Our Ancestors will be an experience you will carry in your memory forever.
Johannesburg is a truly fascinating city, much changed since my first visit there 36 years ago. The chance to see SOWETO first-hand is life changing as we are reminded of Apartheid and all it represented. Our afternoon with Professor Phillip Tobias at Witwatersrand University to see the original Taung Child fossil will be very special. When found in 1924 by Raymond Dart, the Taung Child was the first fossil human ancestor found in Africa. This single discovery was the defining moment in African paleoanthropology and vindicated Charles Darwin’s forecast that Africa would prove to be the cradle of humankind.
Ron Clarke is currently at work on one of the most astonishing fossil finds ever made in Africa. He and his team are painstakingly excavating a nearly complete Australopithecus (Ape-Man) skeleton from deep inside the Sterkfontein cave. We will have the singular privilege of descending into this cave and seeing the specimen, first hand, even before it sees the light of day after more than 3 millions years of obscurity.
Waking up at dawn, warming up and sipping coffee at a campfire with the sky beginning to brighten, and being surrounded by bird and animal sounds is pure magic. We will spend four nights at MalaMala, one of the Top Ten hotels worldwide, where we will have an unparalleled game viewing experience. Falling asleep to the sounds of Africa reawakens long forgotten memories of when our ancestors walked a similar landscape.
One of IHO’s scientists, Curtis Marean is directing perhaps the single most important archaeological project in all of Africa. His discoveries are prompting a major rethinking in our pursuit to understand how, when, and why we became modern humans. Curtis’ innovative archaeological techniques are setting the agenda for 21 st Century excavation. It is a rare opportunity to be able to personally visit his excavations and have him and his students lead us step by step through a fascinating Paleolithic journey.
The Cederberg Mountains are a geological place of wonder with colors that overwhelm, landscapes that sooth, and Bushman rock art that dazzles and generates lively discussion. Enjoying gourmet food under the stars and reflecting on the day’s activities will prompt you to look at the human experience from a new perspective.
After such an enriching journey, spanning some 3 plus million years, we embrace the chance to wind down in what many herald as the most beautifully situated city in the world - Cape Town. Excursions to Cape Point adjacent to the Cape of Good Hope, driving along cliffs that remind us of Big Sur in California, and a visit to the stellar wine country of South Africa are the perfect ways to reflect on all of the extraordinary encounters of this matchless Safari. I guarantee that this trip will be one you will remember for the rest of your life. Your first thoughts on your flight home will center on making plans for your next visit to South Africa.
I will be with our group of eighteen people for the entire journey, from your point of arrival in Johannesburg to the final day of departure in Cape Town. Nothing excites me more than sharing the mystery, magic, and excitement of Africa with remarkable folks like you who have the sense of adventure to walk the landscape where humanity was born.
I am looking forward to being with you in South Africa and expanding our horizons together.
Best wishes,
Don Johanson
Director, Institute of Human Origins
School of Human Evolution & Social Change
Arizona State University
South Africa Brochure (PDF)