---
title: "Citizen scientists and San trackers on the trail of our human origins along Southern Cape's stormy coast"
description: "Join Don Pinnock and a team of citizen scientists and Ju/’hoansi San trackers on an expedition along Africa's Cape South Coast to find ancient creatures of a drowned world and the origin of our species."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "ANCIENT FOOTPRINTS SERIES"
author: "Daily Maverick"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymaverick/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-13-citizen-scientists-and-san-trackers-on-the-trail-of-our-human-origins-along-southern-cape-coast/"
published: "2024-11-13T14:25:44"
updated: "2024-11-14T17:04:07"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 118
---

# Citizen scientists and San trackers on the trail of our human origins along Southern Cape's stormy coast

> Join Don Pinnock and a team of citizen scientists and Ju/’hoansi San trackers on an expedition along Africa's Cape South Coast to find ancient creatures of a drowned world and the origin of our species.

By Daily Maverick · Published 13 November 2024, 16:25 SAST · Updated 14 November 2024, 19:04 SAST

## Key points
- As intrepid explorers sift through the sands of time from the Paleo-Agulhas Plain to Blombos Cave, they embark on a quest not just for ancient human footprints, but for proof that our ancestors were more than just ice-age survivalists—they were the original artists and thinkers, leaving their mark on history, one footprint at a time.
- A new three-part series delves into the survival strategies of early Homo sapiens during the Ice Age, highlighting their ingenuity and resilience.
- From the Paleo-Agulhas Plain to Blombos Cave, the series traces the evolution of human creativity and adaptation.
- Citizen scientists and expert trackers embark on a quest to uncover ancient human footprints dating back 100,000 years.
- Each installment offers a unique perspective on our ancestors' journey, blending archaeology with the rich tapestry of human history.

## Content

From the shores of what was once a vast (but now inundated) [Paleo-Agulhas Plai](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-10-citizen-science-master-trackers-and-deciphering-the-sands-of-time/)n to [Blombos Cave](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-11-blombos-cave-and-the-birth-of-human-intelligence/) where humans began experimenting with art, this three-part series explores how the first Homo sapiens survived a brutal Ice Age and thrived to become us. But can the team find a 100,000-year-old human footprint?

**Part 1: [Citizen science, master trackers and deciphering the sands of time](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-10-citizen-science-master-trackers-and-deciphering-the-sands-of-time/)**

![Strange aeolianite formations near Still Bay. (Photo: Don Pinnock)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ioOm9iFjQhzIBrnB0pDaja4ejpg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Strange-aeolianite-formations-near-StillBay-Don-Pinnock.jpg)

*Strange aeolianite formations near Still Bay. (Photo: Don Pinnock)*

**Part 2: [Blombos Cave and the birth of human intelligence](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-11-blombos-cave-and-the-birth-of-human-intelligence/)**

![Expedition organiser Clive Thompson on the path to Blombos Cave. (Photo: Simon Sephton)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/qN2S8IJsSVY9ecjVFGrqYQsloO8=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Don-strandloper2.jpg)

*Expedition organiser Clive Thomson on the path to Blombos Cave. (Photo: Simon Sephton)*

**Part 3: [An undisclosed coast and the search for the magical human footmark](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-12-strandloper-a-secret-coast-and-the-search-for-ancient-footprints/)**

![Jan De Fynck checks a trackway. (Photo: Don Pinnock)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/LntJMEj6BqyIGcptCZ46nnbEb-4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jan-De-Fynck-checking-a-trackway-Don-Pinnock-27.jpg)

*Jan De Fynck checks a trackway. (Photo: Don Pinnock)*