Some little known chapters in the early history of the Makapansgat fossil hominid site
Date
1997
Authors
Tobias, Phillip V.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research
Abstract
The opening up of the Makapansgat Limeworks deposit as an early hominid site was closely linked
with the early years of the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research. Much of the history
of the events leading up to James Kitching's recovery of the fIrst australopithecine partial calvaria
in 1947 is either scattered or remains unrecorded. An attempt is made here to recount the roles ofW.I.
Eitzman, R.A. Dart, R. Broom, C. van Riet Lowe, B.D. Malan, J. Kitching and his brothers Ben and
Scheepers, R.J. Mason and Dr. Bernard Price in the revelation of the scientifIc signifIcance of those
Limeworks and of other important sites in the area, the Cave of Hearths, Rainbow Cave, Historic Cave
and Mwulu's Cave. The historical part played by six student expeditions to the area in 1945-1947
is described. Save for palaeontological papers by J.S. Jensen, O.D.v.d.S. Mollett and M.M. Dale, and
archaeological ones by P. V. Tobias, the major impact of these ventures has not hitherto been analysed.
It is shown that the fIrst expedition was responsible for drawing R.A. Dart back into the fIeld after
20 years of virtual abstinence, for setting afoot a series of further ventures in that area, and for leading
to the uncovering ofthe fIrst hominid specimens from the Limeworks from 1947 onwards. New
evidence is presented bearing on the relationships between R.A. Dart and R. Broom, which suffered
strain after both the Sterkfontein discoveries of cercopithecids in 1936 and those at the Makapansgat
Limeworks in 1945. A note is added about the original extensive report on the fIrst student expedition,
which independent referees had recommended to the Wits University Principal, H.R. Raikes, should
be published. As a result of the unexplained loss of this report, at or en route to the publisher, it remains
unpublished to this day.
Description
Main article
Keywords
Makapansgat, Australopithecus, Cercopithecidae, Buffalo Cave
Citation
None