Additional information
General Information about the Field School.
Course credits. At present, participants in the Palaeoanthropology Field School at Makapansgat are issued a Certificate of Participation in lieu of formal credit. It is generally possible for each participant to arrange Self-Study or Fieldwork credit through their own university of residence, and such arrangements should be made before attending the field school. It may also be possible to arrange transferable academic credit from the University of Sheffield (or perhaps Wits University, South Africa) but his will require additional costs for tuition and enrolment. If you have any questions about this, please get in touch with Kevin Kuykendall at Sheffield (contact details on the application form).
Travelling to South Africa.
http://www.saembassy.org/
The field school is held during July and August, which are WINTER months in the southern hemisphere. Though it is Africa, it is still cold! Temperatures at night can reach near-freezing levels, and it can be rainy. However, during the day, it is usually fairly warm and sunny, so you will need to dress in layers so you can keep warm in the mornings and evenings, and cool off in the middle of the day. A hat and sunscreen are also needed.
The Makapansgat Valley is somewhat remote, though it is only 40 minutes away from the nearest town (see sections on Medical information, and Things to bring along). Internet access is available in town, but is not always reliable or convenient; we only make scheduled trips to town on weekends. We do not have cell phone coverage in the valley, or on site – but can usually get adequate reception atop the nearest ridge or closer to the main roads (about 15 minutes drive). We will provide further information about contact procedures to applicants at a later time.
Travel Insurance. You are responsible for arranging your own travel insurance prior to departure. Travel insurance (or other appropriate cover) is required, and must be organised through your travel agent when you book your air tickets, or through other means at your disposal. Insure that you bring along all relevant information in case you need to use this insurance coverage during the field school.
Medical information. Field conditions can be somewhat strenuous, and our programme involves considerable amounts of hiking and physical activity. If you are not in good, active physical condition, you should email us and discuss your situation before applying. Be sure that you list ANY kind of physical or medical condition on your application – this information is important for us to know about so that we can provide properly for everyone´s safety.
At least some members of our field school staff are trained in First Aid, and all have field experience. While the conditions of the field school are somewhat `rough´, we do not engage in any explicitly dangerous activities, and we have never had any serious injuries or accidents during any of our field school sessions.
The field site is located approximately 40 minutes from the nearest town and hospital, and about 4 hours´ drive from Johannesburg, where first-rate medical facilities are readily available. As mentioned above, you must obtain travel insurance or similar cover with adequate medical coverage for any eventuality.
The web pages listed below for the visa section also detail information regarding immunisations and other medically-related issues that will be required prior to departure. In addition, you should contact the Center for Disease Control or a similar office in your local area in order to obtain updated recommendations for travel to South Africa. If you are travelling through any other countries en route (before or after), be sure to make this clear to the travel agents and others when you are making your travel plans.
Visa Information. Information regarding visas and travel concerns to South Africa can be found on the following web sites. It is necessary for most foreigners entering South Africa to obtain a Visitor´s visa first – the field school is only 5 weeks long, so a student visa is NOT needed. PLEASE do NOT apply for a student visa!!! This is not necessary and makes the process very complicated. Visitor´s visas are generally valid for 90 days, so if you are planning to stay in South Africa after the field school, keep this in mind.
For information about visas and travel arrangements: see South African Embassy website and South African Visitor's Visa
For information about South Africa – The US Consulate in South Africa web page
Things to bring along. Each student should bring along the following equipment and supplies for their own use during the field school: a backpack; at least one torch and a supply of batteries; a hat for sun, and a hat for cold/wet; binoculars (lightweight preferred); camera; general nature/wildlife guide/s for Southern Africa; a sleeping bag (remember, it is winter here – see section on information about South Africa); comfortable shoes or boots for walking/hiking; a towel and personal toiletries; and thermal underwear (optional). It is recommended that you plan to dress in layers, including a wet-weather shell or outdoor jacket with a hood, etc. It will be cold at night (sometimes approaching freezing temperatures) but is usually sunny and warm during the days (or it can be rainy!). Plan for all kinds of weather, but try to pack as light as possible.
Realise that you will be living in `rough´ conditions when we are in the field. There will be running (including hot) water, ablution facilities, generator-electricity (in the evenings only), and all the necessities. We camp in tents but have the use of indoor cooking, eating, and storage facilities. You may want to bring along other items that you normally use when camping and/or hiking. Alternately, most such items can be purchased in South Africa before we head to the field – depending upon how much space you have in your luggage. If you have specific questions, email us for information.
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