SESSION
Why report on the past if there’s so much to focus on in the present?
Our panelists approach the past from different angles – water, soil, caves, plants, bones. Together they will reveal why deep-time science around archaeology and paleoarchaeology are more than mere exercises of academic curiosity, but vital tools for interpreting the challenges we face today, such as climate change, and for our understanding of different cultures.
Engela DuvenageSession proposer and producer | Freelance | South Africa
Engela Duvenage is a freelance science journalist who among others writes for Nature Africa and University World News. She is the author of a children’s book containing 102 narrative non-fiction stories about South African scientists, engineers and the likes, titled Inventors, bright minds and other science heroes of South Africa.
Bongumenzi (Menzi) Sithembiso NxumaloSpeaker | University of Pretoria | South Africa
Bongumenzi (Menzi) Sithembiso Nxumalo is a specialist in geoarchaeology and the landscape and environmental history of southern Africa. He is also interested in early state formation processes and the early farming communities. His research combines the analysis of soil macro- and micromorphology, physical and chemical datasets, and GIS for developing predictive models to explain the environmental stress factors in early southern African societies such as Mapungubwe. Nxumalo received his doctorate in archaeology from Cambridge University, and he now lecturers at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
Tebogo MakhubelaSpeaker | University of Johannesburg | South Africa
Tebogo Makhubela is a quaternary geologist and senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg. A National Geographic Explorer and Wayfinder Award recipient, his research in South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind integrates geochemistry, geochronology, and speleology. He leads geological investigations for the Rising Star Project and serves as Geology Editor for Southern African Field Archaeology.
Bongekile ZwaneSpeaker | University of Johannesburg | South Africa
Dr Zwane completed her studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she was trained in archaeology. She undertook postgraduate projects focusing on archaeobotany at Klasies River, Sibudu and Border Cave. Through these projects, she gained skills in palaeosciences research, especially in the field of archaeobotany, and in research communication.
Rebecca MacRobertsSpeaker | University of Johannesburg | South Africa
Rebecca MacRoberts is a postdoctoral archaeological researcher at the University of Johannesburg whose doctorate is through the Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Évora in Portugal. Her research uses stable isotope analysis to investigate diet and mobility in archaeological populations.
Kimerudi MotswaiModerator | Master Ru Productions | South Africa
Kimerudi Motswai is a South African filmmaker, writer, and diver whose work explores ocean heritage, indigenous cosmologies, identity, and science communication. She translates scientific and cultural knowledge into accessible media that deepen community connection to the environment. A Nature Environment Wildlife Filmmaking (NEWF) and Jackson Wild Fellow, she is also an instructor with Diving With a Purpose and has received mentorship through programs supported by National Geographic, ARRI, and the American Society of Cinematographers.