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For fans of the maverick, adventurous Indiana Jones, archeology is a matter of nail biting expeditions and ancient, priceless treasures. Yet as Kenya celebrates 25 years since one of the world's most amazing discoveries - in the form of the 1.5 million-year-old Turkana Boy - it's lure as an archaeological wonder remains steeped in science.

For many of the scientists, it was the adventure and intrigue that first drew their imaginations and spawned a passion for discovering the secrets of the past. Says Stephanie Joynes, an archaeologist sharing her experience in helium.com, Indiana Jones drew her to archeology ‘like no history teacher could’.

Yet it was real life archeology, a century ago, that first shot the science into the public mind as mysterious and adventurous, with the discovery of Tutankhamen, the body of a nine year old king in ancient Egypt. The discovery of his tomb was shrouded in mystery, and rumours that the archaeologists who made the discovery were under the ‘curse of the pharaohs’ - leading to their unexpected and unexplained deaths. Nevertheless, precious artifacts were found in the tomb together with the perfectly preserved body of the boy-king.

In Kenya, the Turkana Boy has never roused any similar tales of mystical revenge, but it has positioned Kenya as the World Heritage “Cradle of Humankind”, drawing the attention of international archaeologists to discoveries that have been found nowhere else in the world, and have positioned the country as the beginning point for humanity on our planet. As recently as February this year, archaeologists from the National Museum of Kenya (NMK) and international archaeologists, discovered a footprint of an ancestor of man, also more than 1.5 million years old.

Science magazine published the groundbreaking research revealing that one of our human ancestors, homo erectus, had modern foot anatomy and function. In the leading journal of original scientific research, a team of researchers from Kenya, North America, Europe and South Africa reports on a set of Homo erectus which date from 1.51 – 1.53 million years ago at Ileret, an area within the World Heritage site of Koobi Fora in Northern Kenya.

NMK, which will be celebrating 25 years since the discovery of the ‘Turkana boy’on November 23rd- 25th 2009, has spearheaded research in the history of mankind in Kenya in collaboration with international partners. ‘Turkana Boy’ is a full body skeleton, now perfectly preserved within the museum, discovered in 1984 by Richard Leakey and his team. According to archeologists, the frame and the morphology of the skeleton suggest he was a 12 year old boy who died 1.5 million years ago.

The three-day event at the museum is also honoring Kamoya Kimeu, a member of Leakey’s team, who discovered the skeleton on the shores of Lake Turkana.

Koobi Fora, on the shores of Lake Turkana, is well known for its landmark findings of fossils.
According to the team, the discovery of the footprints is incredibly rare, and the new prints are the second oldest in the world after the Laetoli prints in Northern Tanzania, making this one of the most important discoveries in recent years with respect to research on the evolution of human gait.

This research also established for the first time an objective, scientific methodology for the analysis and comparison of human footprints. These footprints, together with evidence from the archaeological records, support the idea that these very early humans roamed and ate widely, giving us an emerging picture of early homo erectus that suggests the species walked like us.

However, to find fossils such as these takes more than location. According to Dr. Purity Kiura, a senior research archaeologist at the National Museums of Kenya, finding fossils depends on the experience of the team as well as the area being surveyed.

“There are specific areas that are known to yield fossils due to the nature of sediments and thus preservation of the fossils. You need a keen eye to spot fossils on the landscape” she said.

As part of the team that made the footprint discovery, Dr. Kiura says that when they found the footprints, they were searching in an area where fossil bones and stones tools had been discovered earlier. The team decided to excavate to find out whether the tools had originally been from that area or had been transported by water.

“During the excavation we discovered imprints on the earth and these were interpreted to be footprints of several different animals and also humans”, said Dr. Kiura.

The area was geologically studied and it was determined that it could have been a watering place for humans and animals.

“The sediment also underwent dating to determine the age, and that’s how 1.5 million years was arrived at” she said.

Dating is a scientific procedure that gives an approximate age to an archeological find, through testing the degree of carbon breakdown in materials.

The sheer degree of excitement on finding a fossil depends on the kind of fossil. Whatever the find, “finding a fossil is like winning a marathon” said Dr. Kiura.

But a new specimen that no one else has ever found elicits a lot of excitement. “Excitement and glory is what every archaeologist wishes for when they are on the landscape searching for fossils.”

Before archaeologists excavate, they locate potential sites and test them to determine if the sites will yield artifacts. The excavation itself is then a meticulous affair, to ensure nothing is destroyed in the digging. Indeed, advances in science have reduced the actual digging to a minimum, with modern-day archaeologists using radar, magnetic sensors, and soil electric-resistance detectors to identify finds.

However, there are still some sites that have been discovered by chance. The Olduvai Gorge, an important archaeological site in Tanzania, was found by a butterfly hunter who fell into its deep valley in 1911. The amazing Aztec artifacts of Mexico came to light during the digging of the Mexico City subway in the 1970’s. It is for this reason, that most countries require a survey before starting major infrastructure projects – no-one wants to destroy an ancient city putting in a multi-storey carpark..

Likewise, Kenya’s law dictates an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before any major construction, whcih includes a survey of potential archaeological materials and cultural artifacts.

“The expansion of Mombasa road may destroy artifacts found in the culturally-rich Lukenya hills if a cultural resource survey is not included in the EIA, which is the norm in Kenya,” said Dr. Kiura.

For the scientists that then move in to search for the past, being an archaeologist takes “patience and passion for outdoor activity” she says, as well as a naturally inquisitive mind and an interest in human history.

“How the environment was then and how has it changed? What kinds of resources did humans in the past rely on and how did they acquire, process and prepare these foods? These are questions that ignited my inquisitive mind” she adds.

According to Dr. Kiura, the relatively harsh conditions out in the field also add to the lure of the science. “You get to visit areas you had never imagined and relate with people you would most probably never have met,” adds the young research scientist.

“Life in the field is full of unknowns. Sometimes there are no roads and one has to create passages over rocks and bushes. In addition, most times one has to be self reliant especially in terms of food, accommodation and transport.”

Indeed, archaeologists in the field regularly live a life facing off car break downs, attacks from wild animals and encountering hostile communities and bandits.

“In other instances it is fun and exciting especially when you encounter locals with interesting cultures. You get to know more about your country and what it can offer as a result of travelling and meeting different people,” said Dr. Kiura

Professionally, one needs to major in archaeological and anthropology courses at undergraduate level so as to be admitted in graduate school, and even proceed to doctorate level. Though this field of science is not widely recognized, one can pursue it to the highest level in some Kenyan Universities, including the University of Nairobi.

There are also increasing avenues for the public to get involved in archeology especially as volunteers to field crews out on digs, or in the laboratories. Both on-site and in the lab, archeology is a hands-on science. And, although largely under developed in Kenya, there are prospects that it may become a focus for tourism.

Yet, for now, the real fame for Kenya as the Cradle of Humankind, is among professional archaeologists, working for universities, museums, in private companies, and as consultants, teaching, excavating, analysing artifacts and sites, and publishing their research.

But even as the scientists dig, Kenya rises steadily as a dream location for students and a next generation keen to experience in real life an archaeological field school. With the chance, just maybe, of being right there the next time we get a glimpse of early man – that has never been had before.

Written by Ken Macharia for African Laughter