Cradle casts has access to the entirety of the Ditsong Museum's fossil record so bespoke casts of specific items are available on request. See SAPaleo and the Ditsong record for a more complete list of hominin and other faunal fossils that are available for reproduction.
The casts are available in a variety of grades and finishes from the pristine research-grade to less expensive display and souvenir qualities.
All casts are taken from the master positives of the fossils themselves where they exist or from micro-CT scans.
Each full size cast is individually numbered and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
The below is a non-exhaustive list of the casts we have available, please contact us at info@cradlecasts.co.za for any inquiries.
Mrs. Ples
STS 5
Australopithecus africanus
This skull STS 5, together with that of the ~3 year old Taung Child would spark the rewriting of our understanding of human evolution and origins.
In 1947 Prof. Robert Broom undertook a controlled blast to access a promising area:
“When the smoke of the blast blew away, we found that a beautiful skull had been broken in two. The outer part of the rock had the top of the skull and all the lower half was exposed in the wall”
Dubbed Plesianthropus by Broom, the name Mrs Ples was coined. Since reclassified Australopithecus africanus (Southern Ape) but the affectionate name Mrs Ples has stuck.
Robustus
SK 48
Paranthropus robustus
The first fossils of P robustus were discovered in the Kromdraai cave, in the Cradle of Humankind, around 1938. Several fossils were found including a partially crushed skull (TM1517) and the species was identified a Paranthropus robustus by Prof. Robert Broom in 1938. Paranthropus means ''alongside human''.
This relatively complete skull was found at the Swartkrans Cave in 1948. It clearly shows the robust skull structures and thickly enameled teeth that gave the species its name. Despite its robust nature, it is regarded as more recent side branch of homonim evolution than A. africanus.
Mini Evolution Set
Perfect 50% scale replicas of some of the Key hominid fossils (approx 5cm)
SK-48 SK 847 STS 5
Perfect scale models of Paranthropus robustus , Homo ergaster & Australopithecus africanus small enough to fit in your pocket. Available individually or as a boxed set including a display mount, the miniatures of the type-specimens of the Ditsong museum. Exquisitely detailed and the perfect gift, curio or souvenir of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site.
Authorized, true research-grade castings of selected items of the museum’s collection
The only Authorised castings of The Ditsong museums priceless collection taken either from the master positives of the fossils themselves or, from detailed micro-CT scans.
While hominids are our area of focus we are also able to manufacture a cast of hundreds of other items in the collections of the Ditsong museums on request.
