The Associated Press: South Africa gallows site becomes museum, memorial

The Associated Press: South Africa gallows site becomes museum, memorial: "South Africa gallows site becomes museum, memorial
(AP) – 24 minutes ago
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Relatives of anti-apartheid militants hanged at South Africa's main gallows are gathering in Pretoria for a ceremony at which President Jacob Zuma will inaugurate the site as a national memorial and museum.
Organizers say the project opening Thursday offers closure for relatives, and a chance for society to confront the wounds of the past and then move on.
The gallows at Pretoria Central Prison was abandoned after the death penalty was abolished in 1995.
Renovations have included posting a sign on a freshly painted wall along a hallway leading to the gallows telling visitors some 3,500 South Africans were hanged over the last century. "Of these," it continues, "130 were patriots whose only crime was fighting oppression.""

'via Blog this'

A first for PE - tallest flagpole in SA - Sowetan

A first for PE - tallest flagpole in SA - Sowetan:

Sowetan

A first for PE - tallest flagpole in SA Sowetan Last year, the MBDA applied to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) to increase the height of the flagpole that was positioned on the green at the Bay's Donkin Reserve in central Port Elizabeth. The organisation only received the go ...

BusinessDay - Coal of Africa signs Mapungubwe deal

BusinessDay - Coal of Africa signs Mapungubwe deal:

COAL of Africa ’s (CoAL’s) shares yesterday rose the most in more than a month after the Australia-based company said it had signed an agreement with a host of nongovernmental organisations to preserve the Mapungubwe cultural landscape situated close to its Vele Colliery in the Limpopo province.

'via Blog this'

R34 million painting can't be exported - Bizcommunity.com

R34 million painting can't be exported - Bizcommunity.com:

R34 million painting can't be exported Bizcommunity.com ... while the Qatar Museums Authority bought Irma Stern's painting Arab Priest for R34 million on auction six months ago it hasn't been able to hang the painting because its export has been blocked by the South African Heritage Resource Agency (Sahra). ...

Mapungubwe mine still under fire: Fin24: Companies: Mining

Mapungubwe mine still under fire: Fin24: Companies: Mining: "The only obstacle remaining for the Vele mine now is to sort out the Mapungubwe Action Group’s appeal against the awarding of the water licence. But the group, which consists of civil society groups – including the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Peace Parks Foundation and BirdLife SA – are also working on a lawsuit against the mine. "

'via Blog this'

Irma Stern export ban challenged - Mail & Guardian Online

Irma Stern export ban challenged - Mail & Guardian Online:

Irma Stern export ban challenged Mail & Guardian Online This week the eyes of the art world will be on the headquarters of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) when a decision is made about whether an important work by the late Irma Stern can leave the country in the hands of a foreign owner. ...

Alan Morris Launches Missing & Murdered at The Book Lounge - Books LIVE (blog)

Alan Morris Launches Missing & Murdered at The Book Lounge - Books LIVE (blog):

Alan Morris Launches Missing & Murdered at The Book Lounge Books LIVE (blog) Not only does palaeoanthropology run in her blood, but as part of the research for her latest novel, Gallows Hill, Morris taught Orford how to “put bones together”. Ahead of the launch, the infamous Philip Tobias sent a letter to Morris congratulating ...

Digging up the dirt on our ancestors - Independent Online (blog)

Digging up the dirt on our ancestors - Independent Online (blog):

Independent Online (blog)

Digging up the dirt on our ancestors Independent Online (blog) “Why would you leave so suddenly, leave the paint behind, and why would you not come back? It's a question that keeps coming back to me, it fascinates me.” l The “toolkits” are on display at the Iziko South African Museum in Queen Victoria Street. ... and more »

Science Centre hits heritage hiccup - Independent Online

Science Centre hits heritage hiccup - Independent Online:

Independent Online

Science Centre hits heritage hiccup Independent Online Refurbishment work at the centre resumed only late last month after a month-long delay following a “stop works” order from Heritage Western Cape. The science centre, previously known as the MTNScienCentre, changed its name and moved from Canal Walk to ...

Dig it – Cederberg’s stones will rock you - Cape Argus | IOL.co.za

Dig it – Cederberg’s stones will rock you - Cape Argus | IOL.co.za: "team dug there earlier this year and returned for another month. Already, they have recovered 10 000 artefacts.

Mackay says UCT archaeologist professor John Parkington had first excavated this site in 1969. Parkington was interested in the archaeological history of the last few thousand years and, although he discovered and excavated a burial site, he hadn’t really found what he was looking for, Mackay says.

“When we came back, we started by taking out John’s old hole to give us the best idea of what would happen. It was quite a mission after 42 years, but we got there and identified that part of it that we thought would work best for us.”

They’ve subsequently excavated 3m2 and have found a marked discontinuity in the age of the sediments from about 12 000 years until about 55 000"

'via Blog this'

New academy welcomes young scientists

New academy welcomes young scientists:

Three UCT scientists, all in their early to mid 30s, have been named among the 20 founder members of the new South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).

Dr Shadreck Chirikure	Assoc Prof Genevieve Langdon	Dr Jeff Murugan

Dr Shadreck Chirikure of the Department of Archaeology, Associate Professor Genevieve Langdon of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Dr Jeff Murugan of the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, were inaugurated into SAYAS at a function hosted by the deputy minister for science and technology, Derek Hanekom, in Pretoria in September. \"The group,\" said SAYAS in a statement, \"was selected from among the best scientific minds in South Africa and represents a diverse range of talent in terms of race, gender and scientific discipline.\"

SAYAS is designed to bridge the gap between the more senior and well-established Academy of Science of South Africa, and the up-and-coming young scientists who may well be future leaders in their fields. It will also give a voice to young scientists on national and international issues, and creates a platform for them to have their say in policy decisions.

\"For so long, young researchers have been excluded in charting the country's destiny,\" says Chirikure (33). \"SAYAS is an opportunity to put this behind us, by showing the world that young South African researchers can distil solutions that can move the country forward in topical issues such as climate change, employment creation and sound governance.\"

Now still in its infancy, the academy will need to gain ground and credibility. Which is where the young members can contribute, says Langdon (34).

\"Our first priority is to establish SAYAS as a credible and effectively functioning organisation, which means applying our minds, raising some funding and identifying a strategy for projects and involvement across the country.\"

Being singled out in such early stages in a career is a feather in any young scholar's cap. But there is perhaps just a dint of expectation that comes with the honour.

\"I guess there's a greater sense of responsibility,\" says Murugan (35). \"And that there were only 20 founding members selected from nearly 150 nominations from across the country means that this is something of a vote of confidence.\"

BusinessDay - CoAL raises funds for projects

BusinessDay - CoAL raises funds for projects:

COAL of Africa (CoAL) has raised about $106m in a share placement yesterday, giving it the money to buy the Chapudi thermal and coking coal prospect from Rio Tinto, advance its Makhado project and bring its Vele mine into production early next year.

'via Blog this'

Painting centre of first appeal under Heritage Resources Act - Legalbrief (subscription)

Painting centre of first appeal under Heritage Resources Act - Legalbrief (subscription):

Painting centre of first appeal under Heritage Resources Act Legalbrief (subscription) The SA Heritage Resource Agency (Sahra) is dealing with its first appeal in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act after dismissing an application for an export permit for an Irma Steyn painting that was sold at a record price of R39m in London. ...

New rules for Berg rock art visits - Independent Online

New rules for Berg rock art visits - Independent Online:

Independent Online

New rules for Berg rock art visits Independent Online By Daily News Correspondent AMAFA/Heritage KwaZulu-Natal has embarked on a programme of cleaning up graffiti that has defaced some rock art sites in the uKhahlamba/Drakensberg region. And it has also set up a system of access control. ...

Rocks of ages - The Witness

Rocks of ages - The Witness:

The Witness

Rocks of ages The Witness He subsequently held posts at Heritage Western Cape and the South African Heritage Resource Agency in Johannesburg. He's currently the Collections Manager: Archaeology at Wits. Ndlovu was briefly in Pietermaritzburg recently to give a talk titled Rock ...

Blombos pigment workshop

Repost from John Hawks

Blombos pigment workshop:

Synopsis:

Complex toolkits from Blombos, South Africa, show pigment processing before 100,000 years ago.

I know that some readers are starting to wonder if I've forgotten about paleoanthropology lately. Let's just say that the Neandertal and Denisova genomes have me very busy, and I don't think you'd want it any other way.

But on the paleoanthropological front, Science has released a paper by Chris Henshilwood and colleagues [1] describing two toolkits used by ancient MSA people more than 100,000 years ago to grind pigment and mix it with animal fat, presumably for painting.

I want to share a picture from the article (credit G. Moéll Pedersen), which shows one of the two toolkits in situ. I want to make a point about it that would be difficult without seeing the photo:

That photo shows Tk1, the first toolkit. Now, here's the description of what Henshilwood and colleagues were able to interpret from the artifacts in the photo:

We infer that manufacturing proceeded as follows: Pieces of ochre (FS1 and FS2) were rubbed on quartzite slabs to produce a fine red powder, and some were knapped with large lithic flakes. The ochre chips resulting from the latter were crushed with quartz, quartzite, and silcrete hammerstones/grinders. Quartzite grinders were used to crush goethite or hematite-rich lutite. Medium-sized mammal bone was crushed, probably with a stone hammer. The red or reddish brown color and cracked, flaky texture of some of the trabecular bone suggest that it was heated before crushing, probably to enhance the extraction of the marrow fat. The hematite powder, charcoal, crushed trabecular bone, stone chips, and quartz grains and a liquid were then introduced into the Haliotis shells and gently stirred (figs. S5, S25, and S26). Charcoal is rare in the layer-CP matrix, suggesting that it was a deliberate addition to the mix. The quartz and quartzite chips, produced during the action of crushing the ochre, and the quartz grains may have been incidentally incorporated.

You can see how the complex interpretation was made possible by finding these things in association as part of one feature. If one or two of these pieces had been found separately, many archaeologists would be skeptical of such a story. Indeed, even the interpretation of this toolkit might appear incredible were it not for the second toolkit also found at the site. Archaeologists are conservative that way, they don't like to overinterpret the evidence. Even this series of events -- grinding, heating, mixing, and so on -- isn't very complicated compared to many activities that humans do every day. It's an example where Henshilwood and colleagues have advanced what archaeologically can show beyond a shadow of doubt about ancient people, but still leaves a gap in our understanding of the ancient cultural system.

A complex behavioral pattern that is actually found cannot have been an isolated instance. Complexity implies a tradition of which these toolkits are only miniscule remnants.

In this light, I should point out that the Blombos evidence is by far earlier than other evidence of pigment grinding and heating, but not unique in the South African MSA. Last year I linked to a Jennifer Viegas story about red ochre production at Sibudu Cave, South Africa. This is Lyn Wadley's work [2], and the research paper has since been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Also in that journal last year was a paper by Francesco d'Errico and colleagues [3], which described pigment nodules found in the Middle Paleolithic in Mt. Carmel site of Skhul, Israel. We have quite a lot of circumstantial evidence about pigment use in these early contexts both inside and outside Africa, and more is building all the time.

The archaeological record is bad in many ways. The wooden artifacts preserved at Abric Romani, Spain, are another example of an exceptional archaeological find. I've been meaning to write about them since Julien Riel-Salvatore mentioned them last month. Archaeologists have been working the Middle Paleolithic for nearly 150 years, yet we know next to nothing about wooden artifacts. Abric Romani is not entirely alone, but is enough to show the existence of a broader tradition occupying this blind spot, because the extensive shaping of artifacts and labor used to create them implies a cultural knowledge and utility.

---

References

1. Henshilwood CS, d'Errico F, van Niekerk KL, Coquinot Y, Jacobs Z, Lauritzen S-E, Menu M, and Garcia-Moreno R. 2011. A 100,000-Year-Old Ochre-Processing Workshop at Blombos Cave, South Africa. Science 334:219 - 222.


2. Wadley L. 2010. Cemented ash as a receptacle or work surface for ochre powder production at Sibudu, South Africa, 58,000 years ago. Journal of Archaeological Science [Internet] 37:2397–2406. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2010.04.012


3. D'Errico F, Salomon H, Vignaud C, and Stringer C. 2010. Pigments from the Middle Palaeolithic levels of Es-Skhul (Mount Carmel, Israel). Journal of Archaeological Science [Internet] 37:3099–3110. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2010.07.011

Tags:

wood

art

art in science

Blombos

South Africa

Abric Romani

Spain

Europe

MSA

African Cave Yields Evidence of a Prehistoric Paint Factory - NYTimes.com

African Cave Yields Evidence of a Prehistoric Paint Factory - NYTimes.com:

'via Blog this'

Palaeoanthropology: Malapa and the genus Homo - Nature.com (subscription)

Palaeoanthropology: Malapa and the genus Homo - Nature.com (subscription):

Palaeoanthropology: Malapa and the genus Homo Nature.com (subscription) Following on from the announcement last year by Berger et al. 1 of the remains of a newly discovered hominin species, Australopithecus sediba, the same group has now published five reports 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in Science detailing additional fossils and ... and more »

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom On the Gazetting of ... - Middle East North Africa Financial Network

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom On the Gazetting of ... - Middle East North Africa Financial Network:

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom On the Gazetting of ... Middle East North Africa Financial Network Sep 22, 2011 (South African Government/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- The Department of Science and Technology has published the South African Strategy for Palaeosciences (incorporating Palaeontology, Palaeo-anthropology and Archaeology) for ... and more »

Artslink.co.za - Film and talk highlight origins of modern human

Artslink.co.za - Film and talk highlight origins of modern human:

Chris Henshilwood talk @ wits 25 Oct 2011

also showing film:

Using the finest library of hunting and gathering footage available in the world, and told through the eyes of South African forensic anthropologist Nonhlanhla Dlamini, the film explores the origins of all science, religion, art and healing; the very blueprints that define us as modern humans.

'via Blog this'

Woo-woo fest comes to Wits

Woo-woo fest comes to Wits:

from Synapses by Jacques Rousseau

As submitted to The Daily Maverick

Did you know that “millions of people in SA have had their own personal experience with ETs and UFOs”? If you didn’t, Michael Tillinger has arranged a conference just for you, this November in the Linder Auditorium at the University of the Witwatersrand. It must be true, seeing as one of South Africa’s most prestigious universities is hosting the conference.

Well, that, or Wits is simply taking the money without much thought to potential consequences for their credibility and reputation. After all, it’s not like they are the first to embrace pseudoscience and woo – the University of Johannesburg offers a degree in homeopathy.

In their defence, UJ might have been in somewhat of a bind here, as this degree ran the risk of being orphaned at the time of the merger with Wits technicon. But if South Africa were to colonise Zimbabwe, would it really be appropriate to give Mad Bob the job of Foreign Affairs Minister? I’d think not, and while I’m aware that my analogy is somewhat dodgy, homeopathy has as little place in a university curriculum as Bob does in anyone’s government, including his own.

So maybe Wits know what they are doing, and this conference actually has some intellectual credibility. Merely looking at the press release makes one suspicious, though: If millions of us have had such experiences, how would Tillinger know this, seeing as he also claims “most people have in the past been too nervous to raise the subject, afraid of ridicule”?

The answer must have something to with “ancient wisdom”, something else you can learn about at the conference, alongside topics such as alchemy and the formation of money-less societies. There’s also room for “numeric science” – clearly more respectable than straightforward “numerology”, obviously, because it’s got the word “science” in its name.

Tellinger had a successful career as a musician and actor, but has for the past three decades immersed himself in the writings of Zecharia Sitchin – a crackpot so impressive that even other crackpots have dismissed his work as outlandish speculation. Sitchin himself is most notable for having translated various ancient Sumerian clay tablets, influencing Raëlism, and inspiring quite a number of the Mayan 2012 doomsday-prophecy nutters.

Others who have an interest in ancient wisdom, such as professors of anthropology and linguistics, aren’t much impressed with Sitchin’s work either. Roger Westcott (then at Drew University) was moved to remark that “Sitchin’s linguistics seems at least as amateurish as his anthropology, biology, and astronomy”.

Westcott died in 2000, so he’ll sadly not have the opportunity to hear how much our knowledge of ancient wisdom has evolved since Tellinger found those 350 000 year-old ruins in Mpumalanga, with inscriptions indicating the creation of a humanoid race by the Annunkai, who arrived from planet Nibiru about 400,000 years ago. In case you’re sceptical, David Icke’s website also mentions these ruins, so it must be true.

You can hear about other, equally fascinating things at this conference (at only R400 per day, what have you got to lose?). David Hudson will be there to talk about what the Bible calls “MANNA from heaven or the white powder of gold – sought by gods and men since the beginning of time”.

The great granddaughter of Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, Laura Eisenhower, will “share her insider information about life in the universe, the secret bases on Mars and the treaties signed by our governments and ETs.” And crucially, Bob Dean will be there to speak about the extra-terrestrials that currently live among us.

Towards the end of Tellinger’s press release, he informs us that “while there are still many who smirk in disbelief at the concept of alien presence in the universe and even more so here on Earth, those in the know are rapidly moving well beyond trying to justify their knowledge to the uninitiated”.

I’m glad to hear they are moving beyond trying to justify their knowledge, but if that’s true it’s unclear what the point of the conference is. Surely all those who might be interested in attending the conference would already know about it either via their implants, or because they’ve already been initiated into the secrets of this ancient wisdom? The press releases and advertisements explaining the value of such a conference seem unnecessary, unless they actually are attempts to get us less enlightened folk to come and listen to their justifications.

But if they do follow through and stop trying to justify their knowledge, we can perhaps hope for a re-deployment of their creative talents to other areas. Tellinger is credited with releasing South Africa’s first rap album, so we know there’s (arguably, of course, depending on your views on rap) something useful lurking in there. District 9 has been done – perhaps the gathered woo-meisters could get to work on the South African version of Harry Potter?

In the meanwhile, Wits have some explaining to do. In the twenty or so years that I’ve been in the Higher Education system, a fair amount of woo-woo has intruded on what should be the business of evidence-based research and teaching. While we had tarot reading at UCT wellness festivals in the early 90’s, the only recent presence of pseudoscience I’m aware of there is the homeopathic “overdose” some colleagues and I participated in last year, and hopefully that’s about as seriously as homeopathy is ever likely to be taken on that campus.

For a university to offer a (5 year) degree in homeopathy is quite another thing, and certainly a worse thing than hosting a conference on aliens – somehow, though, it doesn’t seem quite as absurd.

Where are the Zulu heroes? - Independent Online

Where are the Zulu heroes? - Independent Online:

Independent Online

Where are the Zulu heroes? Independent Online Arthur Konigkramer, chairman of the Amafa Heritage Council and managing director of the Ilanga newspaper which was founded by Dube – the first president of the ANC – more than 100 years ago, said a second statue of Dube was in the pipeline at the ... and more »

Heritage Agency gets qualified audit - Legalbrief (subscription)

Heritage Agency gets qualified audit - Legalbrief (subscription):

Heritage Agency gets qualified audit Legalbrief (subscription) The SA Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) has received a qualified audit after a litany of financial discrepancies and a failure to implement supply-chain management policies and the Public Finance Management Act, notes a Sunday Times report. ...

BusinessDay - State calls for public comment on gazetted palaeosciences strategy

BusinessDay - State calls for public comment on gazetted palaeosciences strategy: "State calls for public comment on gazetted palaeosciences strategy

SARAH WILD

Published: 2011/09/26 06:52:32 AM

THE government has framed heritage — including archaeology and paleontology — as a product, but to expect it to bring in the same amount of money as mining and economic development is incorrect, says Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists chairwoman Amanda Esterhuysen.

Last week the Department of Science and Technology gazetted its strategy for paleosciences, calling for public comment.

The unveiling of the Australopethicus sediba fossils early this month and the publication of five papers in the respected journal Science, analysing these specimens, has thrown South African paleosciences into the international spotlight. It has also reinforced SA’s geographic advantage in this discipline.

The timely gazetted strategy makes provision for the development of researchers in the field and aims to bolster SA’s curation ability and train personnel. It also positions SA as a paleo-tourism destination.

"SA holds the key to advancing our understanding of various aspects of the story of life on e arth.… Work on South African paleoscience is therefore of crucial national and international importance," it says.

However, Dr Esterhuysen said it was ironic that, while one arm of the government, the Department of Science and Technology, was pushing for the protection and promotion of SA’s paleontological heritage, other entities were compromising them.

She was speaking with reference to the Mapungubwe site in Limpopo, a sophisticated African kingdom that predated European colonisation by almost a thousand years.

Earlier this month, the Department of Environmental Affairs and South African National Parks signed a memorandum of understanding with Coal of Africa , a junior Australia miner, which is trying to mine near the heritage site. Mining was halted last year after an outcry from environmental activists.

Dr Esterhuysen said this was because there were many entities — the departments of science and technology, arts and culture, and tourism — operating in the space that "things fall through the gaps of legislation". She cited the weakness of provincial heritage bodies and a lack of enforcement as prevailing issues.

Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom said the provincial heritage agencies were responsible for heritage sites in their province. "For example, the Cradle of Humankind is in Gauteng, so it’s the responsibility of the Gauteng agency. For Mapungubwe, it is Limpopo. The strategy looks to review the legislation and the framework for heritage resources, engaging with the departments of science and technology, arts and culture, and tourism, to form a single national heritage resources agency. "

Francis Thackeray, director of the Institute for Human Evolution at Wits University, welcomed the strategy.

'via Blog this'

Winnie to receive award - iAfrica.com

Winnie to receive award - iAfrica.com:

Winnie to receive award iAfrica.com The National Heritage Council has announced that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela will be the recipient of the Ubuntu Honour for 2011. The announcement was made at Madikizela-Mandela's residence in Soweto on Monday morning, where the stalwart was celebrating ... Winnie at 75: 'the epitome of ubuntu'Independent Online Winnie Madikizela-Mandela turns 75Primedia Broadcasting - Eyewitness News all 2 news articles »

Advert Divisional Managers - SAHRA

SAHRA advertising for Divisional Manager: Archaeology, Palaeontology & Meteorite Unit as well as Divisional Manager: Built environment

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION 29 SEPT 2011

Job Description for APM Unit:

This senior post involves the co-ordination and management of the Archaeology,

Palaeontology & Meteorite Unit (APMHOB) as it relates to the identification,

protection, conservation and promotion of heritage resources.

Key responsibilities include: • identification, promotion and conservation

of heritage resources • implementation of the National Heritage Resource Act

(No. 25 of 1999) and other relevant legislation • the development of systems,

norms and standards for effective management and conservation of heritage

• formulation, implementation and monitoring of policy • evaluation and

monitoring of archaeological and palaeontological sites • liaison with other

authorities, professionals and stakeholders • administration of the office budget in

terms of the PFMA and relevant schedules • interaction with provincial heritage

resources authorities and assessment of the archaeological, palaeontological and

meteorological aspects • provision of administrative support to the APMHOB

Permit Committee (including staff management).

Appointment therefore requires a Master’s degree in Archaeology, 4 years’ experience within archaeology, palaeoanthropology and palaeontology environment, as

well as 3 years’ management experience. Experience and familiarity with the main

areas of research in the above mentioned fields, and an understanding of contract

archaeology processes is also required. Any further postgraduate qualification/

training will enhance the application.

The ability to work under pressure and meet set deadlines is of prime importance.

Computer literacy and a valid Code B (08) driver’s licence will complete your

profile.

Candidates must be familiar with CRM guidelines, standards and procedures.

Exposure to database management, heritage resource management, as well as

stakeholder and community participation, is essential. In addition, appointment

requires well-developed skills with regard to leadership, problem solving, finance,

people management, communication and writing

=-=-=-=-=-=-==-

Remuneration for above positions comprises a monthly basic salary of

(R22 182 – R26 850) depending on experience plus normal company

benefits.

Please forward your applications to Ms. Siphokazi Luzipho at fax to

021 461 0738. For further details, kindly contact Mr. Dumisani Sibayi on

021 462 4502.

Heritage agency in disarray - Times LIVE

Heritage agency in disarray - Times LIVE: "The agency tasked with safeguarding South Africa's heritage resources is in disarray amid evidence of wasteful expenditure totalling R14-million and allegations against its "heavy-handed" chief executive.

The SA Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) has received a qualified audit after a litany of financial discrepancies and a failure to implement supply-chain management policies and the Public Finance Management Act.

And while it was expected to lead many of yesterday's Heritage Day events, the agency was, instead, preparing retrenchment packages for 14 staff members."

Read more ....

'via Blog this'

SA marks Heritage Day - BuaNews Online (press release)

SA marks Heritage Day - BuaNews Online (press release):

SA marks Heritage Day BuaNews Online (press release) The department and the National Heritage Council are in the process of identifying liberation heritage sites across the country which authorities say are important to South Africa's history of liberation. These liberation routes, according to Mashatile ... and more »

The true story of Great Zimbabwe

The true story of Great Zimbabwe:

The true story of Great Zimbabwe

23/09/2011 00:00:00 by Prof Innocent Pikirayi

FOR many centuries, researchers have failed to agree on who built the Great Zimbabwe in Masvingo. The debate was reignited last week by the release of a confidential United States embassy cable of a January 2010 conversation between the American envoy, Charles Ray, and his Indian counterpart, Ashok Venkatesan. According to Ray, Venkatesan told him that Zimbabweans did not know the real origins of the Great Zimbabwe ruins “which were here when the Shona entered from East Africa and settled on land that was essentially vacant”. Archaeologist Innocent Pikirayi has arguably spent more time researching the history of Great Zimbabwe than any other living individual. Continue Reading...

Heritage is what we choose - In The Paper - Mail & Guardian Online

Heritage is what we choose - In The Paper - Mail & Guardian Online:

Heritage is what we choose

LISA STEYN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Sep 23 2011 16:44

"The triumph of memory against forgetting is part of heritage," said the late Kader Asmal. "We have to work out not only a shared identity but also a shared history and so a shared memory."

Heritage is what we decide to inherit, linked to our identities and the values we define ourselves by, said advocate Sonwabile Mancotywa, chief executive of the National Heritage Council. "South Africa as a nation decides what it wants to celebrate as part of our heritage."

'via Blog this'

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom On the Gazetting of the Nations Strategy for Palaeosciences

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom On the Gazetting of the Nations Strategy for Palaeosciences:

press release

The Department of Science and Technology has published the South African Strategy for Palaeosciences (incorporating Palaeontology, Palaeo-anthropology and Archaeology) for public comment (notice 657 of 2011).

The National Research and Development Strategy describes palaeosciences as a scientific area in which South Africa has a geographic advantage. This Strategy is therefore intended to provide a holistic framework for the development of this discipline, building on the African Origins Platform.

The strategy addresses five goals and their associated interventions which are centred around the need to build human capital; provide resource support and an enabling legislative environment to curate and research the country's palaeosciences treasures, and engage the public on all spheres of the field. The strategy also recognises the importance of developing a national network of sites to create a vibrant and lasting public engagement with the palaeosciences in the country.

The Deputy Minister of Science and Technology would like to thank all the experts who were involved in the process of putting together this Strategy.

All members of the public, academia and civil society are encouraged to comment on and send through their inputs to further enrich this strategy.

'via Blog this'

Coal mine to start in 2012 | The New Age Online

Coal mine to start in 2012 | The New Age Online: "Coal mine to start in 2012


COAL FACED: Coal of Africa will begin mining on its Vele Project soon. Picture: Getty Images"

Luphert Chilwane

Coal of Africa is aiming to produce the first coking coal from its controversial R1bn project located around the Limpopo-based world heritage site called Mapungubwe National Park.

The Vele project was hit with long delays after widespread concern that it would cause damage to the world heritage site. Objections by environmentalist caused the government to halt the project.

The Vele project was suspended in August last year when the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) ordered CoAL to stop work because of the alleged violations of the National Environmental Management Act, despite the company having been awarded a mining right and environmental approval by the Department of Mineral Resources.

'via Blog this'

THE BIG READ: Let's honour SA as the site of life's origin - Times LIVE

THE BIG READ: Let's honour SA as the site of life's origin - Times LIVE:

Professor Lee Berger | 19 September, 2011 00:04


Professor Lee Berger with the cranium of Au Sediba, one of the fossils of early human life Picture: WITS UNIVERSITY


The recent global unveiling of the latest evidence pertaining to the fossil Australopithecus sediba has without a doubt shifted the international interest in palaeo-sciences, including the study of distant human relatives, to South Africa.

News of the discovery of the two skeletons featured in 99 countries across the world last April, and indeed there is significant interest from almost every continent about the findings revealed, which suggests the fossil is a good candidate to be the ancestor of our own genus - the genus homo.

With regard to distant human origins, the southern and eastern parts of Africa are the principal fields of human origins research, particularly South Africa."

'via Blog this'

R1bn overhaul for historic V&A Waterfront silos - Independent Online

R1bn overhaul for historic V&A Waterfront silos - Independent Online:

Independent Online

R1bn overhaul for historic V&A Waterfront silos Independent Online Heritage Western Cape chief executive Andrew Hall said they had considered proposals from the Waterfront for a broad plan. Worth, who wrote a draft conservation plan for the precinct, said it was clear the Waterfront needed to do something financially ...

Spotlight on heritage month - Sowetan

Spotlight on heritage month - Sowetan:

Sowetan

Spotlight on heritage month Sowetan SEPTEMBER is Heritage Month, and authorities, particularly the National Heritage Council, and Department of Arts and Culture, have put together an extensive programme to highlight heritage throughout South Africa. NEVER FORGOTTEN: Nomutile Nontshinga ...

Celebrate heritage week with free entry for all at Iziko Museums from 19 to 25 ... - Media Update

Celebrate heritage week with free entry for all at Iziko Museums from 19 to 25 ... - Media Update:

Celebrate heritage week with free entry for all at Iziko Museums from 19 to 25 ... Media Update ... reviews the visual imagery produced during the liberation in the discussion: “The Image in the liberation of South Africa, a look at the holdings of the Iziko South African National Gallery”, whilst Iziko Museums pre-colonial archaeologist, ... and more »

Neanderthals vs Humans? German Scientists Bring Fossils into the Computer Age - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

Neanderthals vs Humans? German Scientists Bring Fossils into the Computer Age - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International: "German Scientists Bring Fossils into the Computer Age

By Johann Grolle


Volker Steger
Researchers in Leipzig are compiling a ground-breaking digital archive of artefacts from around the world. Created to contrast Neanderthals with modern man, the archive could revolutionize their field -- which is exactly why many oppose it."

'via Blog this'

Dialogue sought on freedom songs - Business Day

Dialogue sought on freedom songs - Business Day:

Dialogue sought on freedom songs Business Day THE National Heritage Council will seek "public consensus" on liberation songs as part of SA's heritage, saying courts were not the appropriate forum to decide matters of "social memory". The council was prompted by Monday's Equality Court judgment ...

Ministers Winde and Meyer Get a Dash of Cape Malay Culture - Cape Gateway

Ministers Winde and Meyer Get a Dash of Cape Malay Culture - Cape Gateway:

Cape Gateway

Ministers Winde and Meyer Get a Dash of Cape Malay Culture Cape Gateway As part of our responsibility toward cultural and heritage tourism, the Department of Cultural Affairs in the Western Cape, its affiliated museums and Heritage Western Cape, and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, are working with the ... and more »

Celebrating Struggle heritage - Independent Online

Celebrating Struggle heritage - Independent Online:

Independent Online

Celebrating Struggle heritage Independent Online Iziko Museums collection manager Robyn Cedras will review visual imagery in The Image in the Liberation of South Africa, a look at the holdings of the Iziko SA National Gallery”, while pre-colonial archaeologist Dr Sven Ousman will discuss Forgotten ... and more »

The Edge: More on Fire-Making by about 1.7 Million Years Ago at Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa

JSTOR: Current Anthropology, Vol. 52, No. 4 (August 2011), pp. 585-595:

The Edge: More on Fire-Making by about 1.7 Million Years Ago at Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa

Peter B. Beaumont

Abstract

Located close to the Kalahari in central South Africa is a large dolomitic cave called Wonderwerk, in the stratified sediments of which there is evidence for fire-making that ranges from the end of the Later Stone Age to the very base of the Acheulean. That discovery is seen to be in accord with findings from four other regional sites, which together provide evidence that can be construed as support for fire-making over almost the same time span

'via Blog this'

BusinessDay - Sediba discovery breathes new life into a ‘dead-end’ science

BusinessDay - Sediba discovery breathes new life into a ‘dead-end’ science: "Despite the excitement about the finding, Prof Berger says a decade ago people thought the palaeosciences were — literally — a dead end, and there was nothing left to discover.

"There are seven or eight partial skeletons in the world…. And we’re unveiling two more … and we probably have three or four or more on the site," he says.

Prof Berger’s eyes twinkle and his hands flutter with excitement as he describes the other fossils: "This is what you dream about in first-year anthropology. Ninety- nine percent (of palaeontologists) will never discover anything and we’ve found two skeletons and there are more." He talks enthusiastically about his work: from what this discovery means for current theories of human evolution, to the role his son and dog played. But he does not mention that those 220 bones uncovered in Malapa have thrown the palaeosciences in SA a lifeline"

'via Blog this'

‘One fossil admires another’ - Gauteng | IOL News | IOL.co.za

‘One fossil admires another’ - Gauteng | IOL News | IOL.co.za: "

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Desmond Tutu, who turns 80 next month, was presented with a model of Australopithecus sediba s hand yesterday, and he responded with a chuckle: From one fossil to another. He added: We always said we are all Africans. Here s proof of it& it is quite amazing. Photo: Brenton Geach
"

'via Blog this'

New Fossils May Redraw Human Family Tree

Brett Eloff, via Lee Berger and the University of the Witwatersrand

A recently-discovered species, called Australopithecus sediba, may dislodge Homo habilis as the immediate human ancestor.

The new fossils are unusually complete. In addition to two skulls reported last year, researchers led by Dr. Berger have since retrieved an almost complete right hand, a foot and a pelvis. The bones are especially well preserved because their owners apparently fell into a deep cave and a few weeks later were swept into a sediment that quickly fossilized their bones.

Link to NYT article

Science/AAAS | Special Feature: Australopithecus sediba

Science/AAAS | Special Feature: Australopithecus sediba: "Special Collection: Australopithecus sediba


The transition in human ancestry from Australopithecus, the genus that existed for 2 million years before Homo, has been enigmatic. A key fossil from near the time of this transition is Australopithecus sediba, which is represented by several specimens discovered in a cave in South Africa. Five Reports in the 9 September 2011 Science, as well as a related News Focus package and podcast interview, discuss important features of the A. sediba fossils, including some that are not well preserved in other similar hominid remains."

'via Blog this'

Where to with waterfront - Paarl Post

Where to with waterfront - Paarl Post:

Where to with waterfront Paarl Post Both Heritage Western Cape and the Drakenstein Heritage Association have objected to the approval granted to the Paarl Waterfront Development by the Department of Environmental Affairs. And there is no end in sight to negotiations between developers, ...

Minister launches Heritage Month - Daily Dispatch Online

Minister launches Heritage Month - Daily Dispatch Online:

Minister launches Heritage Month Daily Dispatch Online Mashatile visited four memorial sites in East London, Bhisho and King William's Town with a delegation including MEC of arts and culture Xoliswa Tom, Buffalo City Metro executive mayor Zukiswa Ncitha and CEO of the National Heritage Council Advocate ...

Artslink.co.za - Heritage Week at Iziko Museums

Artslink.co.za - Heritage Week at Iziko Museums:

'via Blog this'

Golden Mole named after UCT prof - Times LIVE

Golden Mole named after UCT prof - Times LIVE:

Golden Mole named after UCT prof Times LIVE A five-million-year-old fossil mole from Langebaanweg on the West Coast has been named after a University of Cape Town (UCT) zoologist, the university says. The creature was named after Dr Gary Bronner in recognition of his major contributions to ...

www.miningreview.com | Vele coal project moves closer to finalisation

www.miningreview.com | Vele coal project moves closer to finalisation: "Johannesburg, South Africa --- MININGREVIEW.COM --- 05 September 2011 - Coal of Africa (CoAL) has taken another step towards securing its tenure over the Vele coking coal development project – located close to the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site in Limpopo – by agreeing to measures aimed at offsetting its mining activities with a series of biodiversity programmes.

Miningmx reports that the JSE and ASX-listed coal miner has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and South African National Parks (SANParks). Concluding the deal forms part of the conditions attached to CoAL’s environmental authorisation permit for Vele, granted in July.

The company’s shares traded 8.9% higher at R8.50 following the announcement, before retreating to R8.20 (up 5.1%) ."

'via Blog this'

Announcing the Malapa Soft Tissue Project

Announcing the Malapa Soft Tissue Project:

Synopsis:

I announce and describe a project to study possible soft tissue evidence from a 2-million-year-old fossil hominin site.

I am pleased to announce a new open science initiative, focused on a discovery that is unique in paleoanthropology. Together we are going to find out if the Malapa site has preserved evidence of soft tissue from an ancient hominin species.

If you've arrived at this page from outside the site, here's a link to the main project headquarters.

In the August, 2011 issue, National Geographic reported on the Malapa fossils, including a teaser that the site may preserve skin from two hominin individuals. (I pointed to the article last month.)

The suggestion is obviously surprising. Many readers will remember how much controversy surrounded claims about soft tissue preservation from dinosaurs several years ago. Yet extraordinary preservation contexts do exist in the fossil record. Indeed, a few years ago Lee Berger's team, including several of the people now working on the Malapa hominins, identified hair preserved inside hyena coprolites from Gladysvale cave, more than 200,000 years old and only a short distance from Malapa [1].

Could Malapa present the first evidence of soft tissue from a fossil hominin? If so, what can it tell us about human evolution?

The day the National Geographic article was published online, I was standing with Lee in his lab looking at what might be australopithecine skin. I'm not talking about an imprint of skin, like a skin cast. These appear to be thinly layered, possibly mineralized tissue.

Suppose it's really skin, or some other soft tissue, I thought. How would you go about testing the hypothesis? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Even if you could demonstrate it to your own satisfaction, what would it take to convince the doubters? How many distinct observations would be possible from these objects? What instruments would you use, and what comparative samples would you need?

Lee said this was his problem as well. He has access to some of the most sophisticated technology in the world. Some kinds of observations are obvious. He can micro-CT the apparent soft tissue evidence, look within the rock at its structure. He can sample the chemical content, and use scanning and confocal microscopes to examine it. He could sacrifice a small sample to be microscopically dissected. At the end, he would have an answer involving all these comparisons. But would it be convincing?

Lee then made an inspired proposal: What if the process itself were an experiment?

Much of the criticism of other surprising fossil discoveries has been fueled by their secrecy. Science done by a closed process means fewer eyes looking at data, and too many chances for errors to pass unnoticed. Unnoticed, that is, until publication. Then, a firestorm of controversy may erupt as the scientific community at last examines the methods and results closely. In anthropology, the most critical errors are often missed comparisons -- sometimes simple things that a research team could have looked at, if they had only thought of it.

An open process has the chance of improving research by broadening it. We want stronger, clearer results, and we want to anticipate every important criticism. If a significant comparison can be added by people who have the right tools, why not get those people involved? If we stand a chance of finding those people by making the process more open, why not do it?

Lee suggested that this soft tissue evidence could be the basis of a true experiment in whether paleoanthropology could be done as open science. I've been agitating about open science for years, and I volunteered right away to host the experiment and work to make it a success. We went immediately to Rachelle Keeling, the graduate student who will be coordinating the project, and described how we thought it could work. She was enthusiastic about the idea of a truly new kind of scientific project, one that had the potential to involve so many people in the process of discovery.

And so, after a month of putting things into order, here we are. How can you participate in the project, or at least follow its progress?

I have set up a home page for the project, here as a special category page on the blog. This page is the online headquarters of the work, and includes a feed that will have all project updates. As the project proceeds, it will generate suggestions, results, and press. I'll be tracking all of these and updating as we learn more.

The project has an official e-mail address hosted here: skin@johnhawks.net. We want to hear from anyone with the expertise or ideas to solve this problem. Rachelle and I will be reading through the e-mails, discussing them with other project members, and following up on them.

We don't know what to expect but I hope we get hundreds of responses. We can't promise replies to anyone, but everyone will receive an automatic acknowledgement that we've received their messages, and we will follow up personally with those that have suggestions or proposals we can take action on. We're going to ask people to participate in the project, perform research, and coauthor the scientific work: this is real open science.

Members of the Malapa team are biologists who know comparative skin and hair biology. I'll be posting quite a lot about these biological topics for people following the project.

We know that there are many researchers who have been working with methods that would be useful on these unique samples of possible soft tissue. People working with the trace chemistry of organic compounds in mineral samples, people working with the microscopic structure of other ancient soft tissue samples, people who study preservation of organic materials in forensic contexts. There are many others that I don't even know I should be listing.

If you know a person with the right expertise to help, please share this information and encourage her to write.

Most important to the success of the project is showing that we can produce top quality science by this open process. That means we need journals to acknowledge the value of open science instead of penalizing it for not being secret and embargoed. If you're a journal editor reading this, I'm calling you out. And if you're a reviewer or editorial board member, you can support this project and encourage more like it by encouraging the submission of open manuscripts.

And if you don't have a suggestion right now, keep watching. This project will develop and I expect it to become more interesting as it becomes broader. I can't predict how it will end, and that's pretty exciting!

---

References

1. Backwell L, Pickering R, Brothwell D, Berger L, Witcomb M, Martill D, Penkman K, and Wilson A. 2009. Probable human hair found in a fossil hyaena coprolite from Gladysvale cave, South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science 36:1269 - 1276.

Tags:

Malapa Soft Tissue Project

Malapa

A. sediba

open science

my research

metascience

South Africa

Africa

Pliocene

Early Pleistocene

field sites