Maropeng reveals ‘Mrs Ples’ and Friends to the public

Dec 10, 2013

After years of being away “Mrs Ples” has returned to Maropeng, and she’s brought a few friends along to keep her company.

Maropeng’s latest exhibition, titled “Mrs Ples” and Friends, features a selection of original fossils from the Cradle of Humankind, including the first Paranthropus robustus specimen discovered at Kromdraai (TM 1517); COB 101, aka “Pancake”, the only hominid fossil to be discovered at Cooper’s Cave; STW 505 the most complete hominid cranium discovered in Sterkfontein; and, of course, “Mrs Ples” herself.

The collections curator at Wits University, Dr Bernhard Zipfel, says the exhibition will give the public a chance to view and learn more about their most important fossil finds.

The exhibition opens officially on Tuesday December 10, 2013 and runs until January 19, 2014.

Mrs Ples In The Spotlight 1
The star of the show, ‘Mrs Ples’

Mrs Ples And Friends Organisers
Lindsay Marshall (Maropeng marketing and communications manager), Lazarus Kgasi (senior collection assistant, Ditsong National Museum of National History), Stephany Potze (collection manager, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History), Dr Bernhard Zipfel (Wits University collections curator), Tony Rubin (Maropeng managing director) and Lamlela Dube (Maropeng head of security)

Stephany Potze
Ditsong's Stephany Potze carefully takes the fossils out of their protective cases

Maropeng MD Tony Rubin talks about the return of Mrs Ples to Maropeng after a long absence

The glass gets lowered on to the display case housing the skull of Mrs Ples