Dr Keneiloe Molopyane

DR KENEILOE MOLOPYANE is an archaeologist and biological anthropologist, who currently is a lecturer in archaeology and researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. She has excavated Iron Age/early farming community sites in the northern regions of South Africa, underwater archaeological sites with the Iziko Museums of South Africa and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, at Clifton Beach Cape Town. She has lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand, archaeology division, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental studies, and more recently she was one of the team of “underground astronauts” excavating in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa
(Rising Star Project) in search of fossil remains that aid in our understanding of human evolution. Excavating in both the Dinaledi and Lesedi chambers. Following this she became the first woman of colour to be the curator of the Maropeng and Sterkfontein visitor centres, and Hi-Tec’s Heritage hero 2020. In 2021, she was also named one of only 15 National Geographic Society Emerging Explorers, and SuperScientist fictional character. She also became an early pioneer South African black woman to hold the title of Principle Investigator for Gladysvale cave, palaeoanthropological site in the Cradle of Humankind. As part of the core team of the Centre of the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, Molopyane is currently the lead excavator of the Dragon’s Back expedition, at the Rising Star cave system.