Ochre and the dawn of human culture | Tammy Hodgskiss | TEDxJohannesburgSalon

In a captivating talk, Tammy describes the prominent role that ochre, an iron-rich rock that users can turn into a colourful powder, has played in the human evolutionary journey. In addition to being used as a pigment in rituals, ochre has several other practical applications, including sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and medicine. Ochre is especially intriguing because it appears in the archaeological record around when Homo sapiens became "human." Tammy Hodgskiss has been the curator of the Origins Centre museum at the University of the Witwatersrand. She received her Ph.D. in archeology from Wits University in 2013. Her passion is ochre use in the past and present in southern Africa. She has published on this topic in local and international journals. Tammy has worked on the ochre assemblages at various South African sites, including Sibudu and Rose Cottage Caves. She also keeps her hands dirty by running interactive ochre workshops involving ochre paint creation and archaeology-inspired painting. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@samchallis448]

Wish I had seen this before, I would have prescribed it in my World Hunter-Gatherers course (and you could've done a guest lecture!)

[@josiefield6940]

Well done my friend! Beautiful presentation and captivating talk. Big hugs xxx

[@Wickedcorrupt]

Just what I needed!! Thanks

[@wishiwasamuffin]

I favorited this one for later. I'm just beginning to study/use ochre, and this was a fantastic overview of ochre and it's many uses and meanings. Cheers!

[@scibarbi]

Wonderful! Thank you!

[@angeliquebougaard1185]

Fascinating!

[@BeforeWarTheBook]

Nice, but left out some very crucial information. It was used in burials on every continent going back at least 100K years, and was often in the pelvic region, and often blood was used instead. This suggests a stand-in for menstrual blood. Plus, modern hunter-gatherers speak of it as such, like the Unthippa of Australia who said it came from the vulvas of their ancestors.

[@albertomartinez2479]

Is it possible that radioactive properties of Ochre aided our progress as a species, evolution wise?

[@nowaistedspace4946]

My guess, it was an everyday item used for hunting: stealth and camouflage, hides your scent, gets you closer to your prey.

[@DraftingandCrafting]

I have had the very same thought regarding camouflage for hunting.