Underground Astronauts

Cross-section of the Rising Star Cave system

Underground Astronauts is the name given to a group of six women scientists ^[1] who excavated the bones of Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber in South Africa.^[2][3] Hannah Morris, Marina Elliott, Becca Peixotto, Alia Gurtov, Lindsay Eaves and Elen Feuerriegel were selected by expedition leader Lee Rogers Berger.^[4][5]

In November 2013, the National Geographic Society and the University of the Witwatersrand funded an expedition called Rising Star Expedition for a twenty-one day excavation at the cave,^[6] followed by a second expedition in March 2014 for a 4-week excavation in the Dinaledi Chamber. In total, the expedition retrieved 1,550 pieces of bone belonging to at least fifteen individuals, found within 1 m² of clay-rich sediments.^[7] They entered a narrow opening in the cave to reach the chamber where the bones were located,^[8] and as the expedition was dangerous, they were named the Underground Astronauts.^[9]

Excavator team

• Hannah Morris is an archaeologist.
• Alia Gurtov is a University of Wisconsin – Madison Ph.D. candidate researching the effects of seasonality on hominin foraging at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania.
• Marina Elliott is originally from Calgary, Canada, and has a master's degree in biological anthropology from Simon Fraser University, Canada.
• Elen Feuerriegel is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University, studying shoulder biomechanics with Colin Groves in Oldowan stone tool manufacture.
• Becca Peixotto is an archaeologist and Ph.D. student in the Department of Anthropology at American University in Washington, D.C.
• K. Lindsay Hunter is a biological anthropologist.^[10]

See also

• Rising Star Cave
• Dawn of Humanity (2015 PBS film)

References

1. "These 6 women risked death for an amazing scientific discovery". Tech Insider. Retrieved 2016-01-07.
2. "Meet the "underground astronauts"". CNN. 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
3. Bennett, Amanda; Geographic, National (2015-09-17). "Wanted: Fit, Fearless Scientist for Huge Underground Find". National Geographic News. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
4. Feltman, Rachel (September 10, 2015). "Meet the six female 'underground astronauts' who recovered our newest relative". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
5. Smith, David (10 September 2015). "'Small spelunkers required': the ad that led to the discovery of Homo naledi". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
6. Bascomb, Bobby (10 September 2015). "Archaeology's Disputed Genius". PBS. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
7. Howley, Andrew (6 November 2013). "Rising Star Expedition: Prehistory in the Making". National Geographic Society. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
8. McKenzie, David; Wende, Hamilton (2015-09-10). "Homo naledi: New species of human ancestor discovered". CNN. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
9. eNCA (2015-09-14). "'Underground astronaut' shares Homo naledi experience". eNCA. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
10. "Who are the Underground Astronauts?". EWN. Retrieved 2016-01-05.

External links

• The Women Behind the Discovery of Humankind's Newest (Maybe) Relative
• Trowel Blazers - Rising Star
• The role of women and youth in discovering Homo Naledi