In a Highveld cave, where a monster is said to have lived, palaeoanthropologists have struck gold.
The monster was the star in a B-grade horror movie set partially in the cave, the gold are some well-preserved hominid teeth.
What amazed the scientists is that they found the fossilised remains shortly after they began surveying the cave. There it was, the mandible (jaw) with the teeth, lying on the floor, that anyone could have found if they looked. And it seems many had the chance.
With this discovery, the cave now joins the growing list of palaeoanthropological sites in the Cradle of Humankind, situated just west of Johannesburg.
Just 200m away from the new site is the Rising Star cave system, where cavers discovered Homo Naledi in 2013.
The well-known Sterkfontein Caves are just over the hill, about 2km away. For now the new site is simply known as UW 105, and as yet scientists are not sure which human relative left those teeth.
But the leader of the project, Professor Lee Berger of Wits University, believes there are plenty more homin in remains in the cave, and from what they have seen so far, this has the makings of one of the richest palaeoanthropological sites in the world.
“I would say that we have at least two individuals and we have only been in here one week,” he says.
Berger was surprised that the fossil they found on the floor had not been spotted before. The cave in 2015 was the location for the horror movie Tremor 5: Bloodlines. Possibly hundreds of people traipsed in and out of the cave back then.
On the cave wall, just above where the fossil was found, is graffiti left by the film makers.
“People would have directly stood over the fossil,” laughs Berger.
The cave in the movie was meant to be the nest of a worm-like monster with detachable tentacles and big teeth. The direct-to-video movie, starred well-known South African actors Ian Roberts and Pearl Thusi. Admittedly the film wasn’t a blockbuster.
As Berger points out UW 105 is the only hominid site to appear in a movie with an average Rotten Tomato score of less than 4. But UW 105 is going to be in the glare of the cameras once again. This time the star isn’t a stealthy monster, it is going to be the scientists working the site.
The public are going to be able to watch the scientists tolling away and maybe making an exciting discovery or two. It is a first, believes Berger.
“You will join the team of South African and international scientists as we do the work in real time,” declared Berger on the introduction YouTube clip. The dedicated YouTube channel for the dig is called the Fossil Vault. Besides YouTube videos, the team also plans to use social media to tell the story.
Ahead is years of work. The cave first has to be made safe, the newly found fossils need to undergo preparatory work and the site to be mapped.
“We are going to make mistakes along the way,” says Berger. “But eventually we will be able to identify who those teeth belonged to, and we want people to see it as it happens.”