Ochre and mineral pigments have been used for well over 100,000 years by our species, Homo sapiens. These iron-rich, brightly colored rocks are still widely used around the world today in many ways – from skin protection and medicine to paint – but how do we know how and why it was used in past?

Tammy Hodgskiss is an archaeologist and curator at Origins Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, who researches how humans used ochre in the past in southern Africa. In this presentation she discussed new research and interpretations on early human interactions with ochre.

Moderator: Briana Pobiner, paleoanthropologist and educator at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

This Zoom webinar with Tammy Hodgskiss aired live on December 14, 2023 as part of the ongoing "HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic" series.