Returning Zinj: Marking evolutionary history

This project responded to a Darwin Now scheme run by the British Council in 2009 to coincide with the Darwin Bicentenary celebrations in the UK and to encourage artists and researchers to develop work on evolution beyond the UK. Having completed her PhD (Becoming Human: Nostalgia, Nature and Nation in the search for human origins in twentieth century Tanzania, CWAS, University of Birmingham) in 2007 Dr Amy Staniforth was keen to document the Golden Jubilee anniversary of the discovery of Zinjanthropus boisei by Dr Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in 1959. The British Council agreed to support Dr Staniforth's plan to interview Tanzanian professionals in the palaeoanthropological field and to have the interviews transcribed and deposited with the Tanzanian National Museum Service. These interviews, transcripts, and photographs represent the product of the Returning Zinj project and have been sent for deposit to the Natural History Museum in Arusha. Interviews Interviews were conducted with participants of the East African Association for Palaeoanthropology and Palaeontology 2nd Bi-annual conference which celebrated the Golden Jubilee between 16th-21st August 2009. The interviewees do not represent the total or true range of Tanzanian professionals in this field, only an opportunistic sample. Dr Amy Staniforth conducted eight interviews between half an hour and an hour long with the below, between August 17th and August 25th, at Naura Springs Hotel and Pamoja Lodge (Arusha) and at the Seronera Lodge (Serengeti): Dr Charles Saanane palaeontologist, University of Dar es Salaam Godfrey Olle Moita (Maasai) Oldupai Site Museum curator and field scientist Professor Fidelis Masao palaeoanthropologist, UDSM Annunciata Laurich Recent University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) archaeology graduate Felista Mangalu, Director of the national Natural History Museum; Arusha Elinaza Mjema, Assistant curator at Oldupai Site museum; Ozias Sam Kileo, Curator of Oldupai Site Museum; Dr Jackson Njau, palaeoanthropologist, Berkeley Copryright permission was given by each interviewee to the Natural History Museum, Arusha, and it is hoped that the interviews, the transcripts, and the photographs documenting the interviews will be made available to researchers and the public. 8 interviews on separate cds, 8 transcripts of same.