Rosa Matsileng Moll

Demystifying the tools our ancestors used

For archaeologist Rosa Matsileng Moll and her colleagues, the Sterkfontein Caves and Swartkrans sites are like the gift that keeps on giving.

“There is still so much material and so many artefacts that are constantly being discovered. This means there is so much possibility available to archaeologists,” she says.

A specialist in Earlier Stone Age tools, Moll works primarily on tools from the Member 5 West deposit at Sterkfontein but is also a member of the stone tool team at nearby Swartkrans.

“These sites and the relevant archaeological material display some of the earliest behaviours of our hominin ancestors, which are important to understand in order to understand how our modern world functions,” she says.

“I analyse stone tools to determine the technological behaviours of our hominin ancestors. This means that I aim to understand how they chose their raw materials and made the tools, which provides information about the choices and lifestyle of the knappers.”

When it comes to role models, Moll looks to the women in her field.

“I am inspired by all the women in archaeology, those who came before me and my colleagues. These women not only paved the way for me to work in the field, they have also supported my journey,” she states.