Kgalagadi Human Origins

About

The Emmy Noether Group ‘Kgalagadi Human Origins’ started in June 2021. The six-year project is researching the impact of the extreme climate changes in the Mid- and late Pleistocene on human evolution in the southern Kalahari basin.

Learn more about the KHO project

News

• KHO at the First Lego League competitionFebruary 20, 2026
  On 31 January, the First Lego League held its 15th competition under the motto “Unearthed”. The competition offered children and young people a playful introduction to science and archaeology. KHO research group leader Michaela EckerContinue reading “KHO at the First Lego League competition”
• Congratulations to Inèz Faul on completing her doctorate!January 20, 2026
  Inèz Faul is the first PhD student of the KHO project to accomplish her degree with her thesis titled “Geoarchaeology in semi-arid landscapes: a case study from the Kgalagadi”. The defense was held on JanuaryContinue reading “Congratulations to Inèz Faul on completing her doctorate!”
• New blogpostOctober 15, 2025
  View our new blogpost about the KHO Workshop in July 2025 here.

More projects

Multiple research projects across different disciplines focus on Pleistocene Europe and Africa. The interdisciplinary projects grant insights into past interactions between hominins and landscapes with dedicated focal points.

Learn more about our other projects

New publications

• Winterhalder et al. (2026)February 20, 2026

  Winterhalder, R., Green, C., Faul, I., Henderson, A., Mothulatshipi, S., Segadika, P., & Ecker, M., 2026. Connecting survey data with targeted test excavations to understand lithic artefacts in the landscape of the southern Kalahari, Botswana. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa 0, 1–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/0067270X.2026.2627127
  

• Politt et al. (2025)July 22, 2025

  Politt, S.S., Pribliczki, H., Dickinson, M.R., Andersen, N., Henderson, A., Morris, D., Makarewicz, C.A., Penkman, K., Ecker, M., 2025. Insights into the Middle Pleistocene fauna of South Africa: Zooarchaeology, stable isotopes and dating of Pniel 6. Journal of Quaternary Science 40, 1120–1139. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.70002
  

• Faul et al. (2025)July 8, 2025

  Faul, I., Grandfield, T., Dreibrodt, S., Mothulatshipi, S., Segadika, P., Green, C., Frouin, M., Ecker, M., 2025. Dune, outcrop, and pan sediments from the southern Kalahari Basin: A geoarchaeological case study from the Kgalagadi district, Botswana. safa 20. https://doi.org/10.36615/safa.20.3408.2025