Why old bones are sexy

The Big Read: It's A long way from Memphis, Tennessee, to the Cradle of Mankind, but for Morris Sutton, the lead archaeologist and assistant site director at Swartkrans, it was the obvious journey.

Memphis, with its history of another sort (Graceland and Elvis), could be described as a bit thin on the ground when it comes to evidence of human evolution. Swartkrans, on the other hand, is one of the 13 fossil-bearing sites, which hold many secrets to our evolution, that span the Cradle of Mankind, in Gauteng.

"My speciality is the Stone Age and modernity," says the red-haired, soft-spoken American who arrived in South Africa eight years ago to study for a post-graduate degree in paleoarchaeology. He completed his PhD at Wits.

Following Lee Burger's extraordinary find, Australopithecus sediba, the world of bones, fossils, archaeology and palaeontology have, overnight, become hot topics. For want of a better word, and contrary to all pre-conceptions, it is a field that has become "sexy".

Not since Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun's tomb or, closer to home, Ron Clarke discovered "Little Foot", the fossil that marked our evolution from walking on all fours to bipedal locomotion, has there been so much interest.

In spite of all this attention, obtaining funding for discovery can be a problem. Particularly in South Africa, where there are far more pressing social issues. But, as Sutton puts it, it's important to understand where we homo sapiens come from. Not just from a physical point of view, but from the perspective of cultural lineage. At what point did man become modern? When did he start using symbols, language?

Swartkrans's geological deposits span millions of years and sample important events in human evolution. Of particular importance is the discovery of the use of fire, dated to about a million years ago. There are also stone and bone tools, and the discovery of two hominoid species - australopithacus, dated to three million years ago, and homo egaster, dated to one million years ago.

Add to this evidence of bone that has not only been exposed to fire, but has hatchings and other markings on it, implying that it was hacked into after it was burned. A find like this is spectacular on many levels. There is a hypothesis that the meat was cooked and tools were used to cut into it. Date it back a million years and this finding becomes even more momentous.

Sutton leads small group tours around the Swartkrans site three times a year. Aside from these small walking tours, the area is forbidden to the public.

Throughout the walk, Sutton talks about the history of the site, the finds and the evolution of the dig. He's approachable, informed and makes it very clear that archaeology is his passion.

"It's not quite Indiana Jones," he says. "It's fun being on the site, digging, but that is only a part of it. A lot of research takes place in the laboratory. Fossils need to be cleaned and, in many instances, there are thousands of tiny pieces that must be put together."

Excavation itself appears to be a time-consuming, pedantic process. Areas of 25cm² are marked out and the soil is carefully sieved. Sutton takes us deep into the belly of the cave, 10m down, to show us the depth of excavation. It's cold and dank and quite obvious that archaeology and palaeontology are physically and mentally challenging.

"You never fully excavate an area," says Sutton. "You work it over and over, it's an ongoing project.

"You have to expect variances. Archaeology is a combination of science and hypothesis. We develop research questions, find evidence, and then develop the research."

Though he has not lost his southern lilt, the archaeologist is entrenched on South African soil. He married a South African and they have a young family.

Unfortunately, at some point, the money for research at Swartkrans will run out. When this happens, he'll have to look at leaving the country unless other work becomes available.

There's no doubting his knowledge and passion. His tours educate the previously ignorant Joe Public, who tells friends and family about the phenomenal wealth of history we have on our doorstep.

• The next walk led by Sutton is on June 19. For more information, visit www.maropeng.co.za