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Dinosaur Dig

Re-imagine museums and education in South Africa!

The small village of Qhemegha is in an area that 200 million years ago was part of a vast river basin, and home to some of the earliest dinosaurs. Residents of Qhemegha have told stories about the area’s rich dinosaur fossils for generations. In 2015, local community members alerted South African universities of the dinosaur fossils in the area. Since then, palaeoscientists have been working with the local community to excavate what is now known as one of the richest dinosaur fossil sites in Southern Africa. We partnered with the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeoscience, the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, community members and local designers to create this 100m2 exhibition, in which learners move through different scenes to envision ancient landscapes, and learn more about how palaeontologists dig for fossils. We want every child in Qhemegha to fall in love with and be proud of the amazing fossils of the area, and learn how to pursue this and other fields of study for future careers. “You could see and feel the optimism and enthusiasm of the whole village about this exhibition,” said Sginyane Ralane, a prominent local community member, who along with local shepherd Dumangwe Thyobeka, first alerted to the existence of the fossils. “Ultimately we would love to see the children of this village following studies in paleoscience at university. The future looks brighter for these children through playful learning.” Reach out to be part of our movement to re-imagine #museums and #education in South Africa!

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