B IOLOGICA L ANT HROPOL OG IST/ AR CHA EOLOG IST
PAL E O ANTH R O P O L O G IST
PAL EO ANTH R O P O L O G IST
MARINA ELLIOT
ELEN FEUERRIEGEL
ALIA GURTOV
“To be able to combine scientific research in my field with adventure, travel—and a little danger—was almost irresistible.”
“It was a bit like entering a cathedral….Cave systems are such a primordial kind of terrain, it’s hard not to feel connected to deep evolutionary history when you’re exploring one.”
“I selected my anthropology major way back in undergrad because it would facilitate traveling and playing in the dirt—an unbeatable combination.”
Elen conducts complex experiments on modern humans in order to understand how early human behavior (like making tools) influenced the evolution of our arm and shoulder. Despite growing up a recreational caver and climber, she was sure she wouldn’t be selected. “I eventually convinced myself I had nothing to lose by applying,” she said—and, once chosen, Elen read every book she could find, and even built an obstacle course in her apartment to be sure she could get through the 7-inch pinch!
For someone who studies two-million-year-old interactions between carnivores and humans, excavation in the baking heat of the African desert is just another day at the office. It’s this kind of tough disposition that drew Alia to this extreme archaeology expedition in the first place. “To be part of a team excavating a hominin skeleton (or 15 of them) was a dream I’d had all my adult life,” she said. Her words to live by? “Don’t hesitate.”
Marina discovered anthropology in her 30s, after a career in veterinary medicine, and has honed her skills in Alaska, British Columbia and Siberia. The Naledi project was a natural fit: she caves, climbs, bungee jumps, skydives, scuba dives, and has flown ultralight aircraft. She was first to enter the chamber, and likened the experience to discovering King Tut’s tomb —full of excitement, and overwhelming awe.
32
Misadventures Issue 1