Education | Speaker Series
Explore groundbreaking discoveries from Indonesia with archaeologist Adam Brumm
The Leakey Foundation is partnering with the Field Museum and the Chicago Council on Science and Technology for three events featuring archaeologist Adam Brumm, whose discoveries have twice ranked among the top 10 scientific breakthroughs. These Chicago events offer a unique opportunity to explore human origins, ancient art, and evolutionary history.
Meet a Scientist: Uncovering Indonesia’s Human Past
May 30, 2025 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Location: Grainger Science Hub, The Field Museum
Cost: Free with museum admission
Get up close with groundbreaking archaeological discoveries from Indonesia! This drop-in event offers a rare opportunity to meet Professor Adam Brumm, whose 21-year research career includes remarkable findings on the islands of Flores and Sulawesi.
Visitors will have the chance to:
- Examine casts of the famous “Hobbit” (Homo floresiensis) fossils
- View photographs of Indonesian archaeological sites
- Ask questions directly to one of the scientists behind these discoveries
- Engage with hands-on elements related to human evolution
No registration required—simply stop by with your regular museum admission.
First Stories: The Ice Age Art of Sulawesi
May 31, 2025 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Location: The Field Museum
Cost: Free, but registration is required
Did you know the world’s oldest known figurative art isn’t in Europe, but on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi? Professor Adam Brumm will share the fascinating story behind the discovery of cave paintings that are at least 51,200 years old, including a hunting scene that represents the earliest known example of visual storytelling in human history.
These remarkable findings challenge a long-held belief that Europe was the birthplace of human art. Originally discovered in the 1950s and thought to be only 4,000 years old, modern dating techniques revealed their true age, revolutionizing our understanding of human cognitive development.
Attend either in person or online. Click here to register.
Hobbits & Hops: The Origin of Homo floresiensis
June 1, 2025 | 2:00 – 5:00 PM (doors open at 2:00, talk begins at 2:30)
Location: Revolution Brewing – Brewery & Taproom, 3340 North Kedzie Avenue
Cost: Free, registration appreciated
Join us for science and socializing at Revolution Brewing! Professor Adam Brumm will discuss one of the most intriguing hominin species ever discovered—Homo floresiensis, affectionately nicknamed the “Hobbit” due to its small stature.
First announced to the world in 2004, these remarkable fossils from Liang Bua Cave on Flores Island represented a diminutive human species with a tiny brain, prompting debates about their evolutionary origins. Were they dwarfed descendants of Homo erectus? Or perhaps relatives of much older hominin lineages like Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis)?
Professor Brumm will share insights from his team’s recent discoveries at Mata Menge. There, they found 700,000-year-old hominin fossils that are ten times older than the Liang Bua specimens and belonged to even smaller individuals with similar traits.
This family-friendly event welcomes all ages, with food and drinks available for purchase (alcoholic beverages for 21+ only).
About Adam Brumm
Professor Adam Brumm is a distinguished archaeologist at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. His extensive fieldwork in Indonesia has yielded numerous groundbreaking discoveries, including:
- Ancient hominin fossils on Flores Island that appear ancestral to Homo floresiensis
- Ice Age cave paintings on Sulawesi, including the oldest representative art in the world
- The American Association for the Advancement of Science twice named Brumm and his colleagues’ research among the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of the year (2014 and 2019)
After completing his PhD at the Australian National University in 2007, Brumm held several postdoctoral research fellowships, including at the University of Cambridge, before his current position.
Learn with The Leakey Foundation
These events offer a remarkable opportunity to learn firsthand about discoveries that have transformed our understanding of human evolution and creativity. Don’t miss this chance to explore humanity’s deep past with one of the field’s leading researchers.
All three events are generously sponsored by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, Camilla and George Smith, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.
