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Virtual Summer Travel Series

Step into the fascinating world of prehistoric art and archaeology with the virtual Summer Travel Series. Join us on June 22 and July 12 to explore off-the-beaten-path field research sites in Indonesia and India with leading scientists as your online tour guides.

This exclusive opportunity is only available to the first 50 registrants. 

100% of your donation will go to The Leakey Foundation’s Baldwin Fellowship Campaign, and all donations will be doubled.* The Baldwin Fellowship helps students from under-resourced countries to attend graduate school and achieve their dreams of becoming a scientist.

A 44,000-year-old hunting scene painted on a cave wall in Sulawesi.

Destination: Indonesia
Thursday, June 22 from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm PT

Dr. Adam Brumm
Professor of archaeology at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia
Member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts

Known to science since the 1950s, the rock art of southern Sulawesi only revealed its surprisingly deep antiquity in 2014. Among the recent findings are a 45,500-year-old painting of a Sulawesi warty pig, now recognized as the earliest known rock painting attributed to our species, and a spectacular ‘hunting scene’ depicting part-human, part-animal figures.

Dr. Brumm will take you behind the scenes of these discoveries, offering an exclusive look at the world’s most ancient art. He will reflect on the profound importance of these images and their influence on our understanding of early human art and culture.

Meenakshi Dubey-Pathak with rock paintings and graffiti.

Destination: India
Wednesday, July 12 from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm PT

Dr. Meenakshi Dubey-Pathak
Independent rock art researcher
Rock Art Expert Member with the International Scientific Committee on Rock Art

Rock art has been found in thousands of rock shelters across India. These paintings and carvings represent a cultural tradition that stretches back as far as the Stone Age, and is still alive today.

Dr. Dubey-Pathak takes you to sites across three states in Central India, exploring painted shelters and boulders engraved with petroglyphs. In these places, tribal art traditions and ritual practices continue to thrive among the local communities. These diverse forms of tribal art and ritual may have had their sources in the ancient rock art and the beliefs that inspired its creation.

Leakey Foundation grantee Shanti Pappu in the field in India.

Dr. Shanti Pappu
Archaeologist
Founder of The Sharma Centre for Heritage Education

Buried deep beneath ancient sediments and scattered over vast landscapes, lie large numbers of Paleolithic stone artifacts, testifying to the earliest occupation of South Asia.

Dr. Pappu leads you to some of these iconic sites in India, including Attirampakkam, while sharing long-term research and evidence that reconstructs past environments and hominin behavioral changes. This research allows for a better understanding of cultural evolution and technological changes, with implications for the nature and timing of population migrations. Along the way, she will also share her personal experiences outside of research that form important components of her life, including conservation and educational outreach.


FAQ

Join us from the comfort of your own home for our virtual Summer Travel Series. Virtual “tours” are 60 minutes and will be hosted online, so you can join us from anywhere in the world!  

When do I receive login details? Link to watch?

You will receive the link before the virtual tour. You will also receive reminder links on the day of the event. If you do not see the link in your inbox, be sure to check your spam/junk folder. 

Am I able to ask questions or interact with the scientists?

Yes! Our virtual tours are interactive, and we hope you will participate. There is always a Q&A portion.

What is the cost?

These are donation-based programs. We suggest a $250 donation to participate in both live programs, although you may donate any amount to support our mission. All donations will be matched, and your gift is tax-deductible. (See the ticket section below for other ways to participate.)

Will the Summer Travel Series tours be recorded?

Yes. (See the ticket section below for details on accessing the tour videos.)

Ticket Types 

$250 First Class Donation- for June 22 and July 12 

  • Zoom access to two live programs
  • Video links for two recorded programs (one week after the live program)
  • Opportunity to engage with world-class scholars
  • Your tax-deductible donation is doubled
  • 100% of your donation (ticket cost) goes to the Baldwin Fellowships

*Care packages are only available for shipping within the US. They will be shipped Priority USPS, but The Leakey Foundation does not guarantee the package will arrive before the first program.  

$100 Donation for June 22 only

  • Zoom access to June 22 live program
  • Video link for the recorded program (one week after the live program)
  • Opportunity to engage with world-class scholars
  • Your tax-deductible donation is doubled
  • 100% of your donation (ticket cost) goes to the Baldwin Fellowships

$100 Donation for July 12 only

  • Zoom access to July 12 live program
  • Video link for the recorded program (one week after live program)
  • Opportunity to engage with world-class scholars
  • Your tax-deductible donation is doubled
  • 100% of your donation (ticket cost) goes to the Baldwin Fellowships

$20 Donation

  • Online links for two program videos (one week after each live event)
  • Your tax-deductible donation is doubled
  • 100% of your donation (ticket cost) goes to the Baldwin Fellowship