March 30, 2017

It is no exaggeration to say that paleoanthropologist Lee Berger’s 2013 discovery of Homo naledi signaled a profound shift in our understanding of human evolution. In a secret chamber of the remote Rising Star cave system near Johannesburg, South Africa, a massive collection of bones was discovered by his explorers assisted by recreational cavers. So he rapidly assembled a team of “underground astronauts” with caving experience, scientific backgrounds, and the kind of physique that could fit in a chute averaging 7.9 inches in width. What they found suggested something unprecedented—ritual burial, a practice long thought to be unique to Homo sapiens. And that was just the beginning.

 

Themes: anthropology, paleontology, evolution, geography  

 

Educational Resources: CLICK HERE!

 Arizona Geographic Alliance Tools: CLICK HERE! 

 To find books at Mesa Public Library: CLICK HERE! 

 

  • Grade-level appropriateness: 6 thru 12
  • Matinees are approximately one hour long, including a Q&A session.
  • Sign-language interpretation is available with two weeks' advance notice.

 

Admission:

 $3 each for students, teachers, and chaperones.  

 

Reservations:

Box Office | 480-644-6500 | boxoffice@mesaartscenter.com 

 

*For the safety of all our guests, adults are not allowed in the Shows without children, and children are not allowed without adults. 

 

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