Dr Tammy Hodgskiss is the Curator at the Origins Centre Museum, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Tammy was born and bred in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an archaeologist and received her PhD in 2013 from the University of the Witwatersrand under the supervision of Prof Lyn Wadley. She researches and has published on ochre use in the Middle Stone Age of South Africa, employing primarily use-trace analytical methods, supported by experimental analogies/understanding. Her research focus is on how ochre and pigment use can help inform interpretations of the cognitive abilities of early modern humans. Tammy has worked at ETHER Heritage, in the digital archive at the Rock Art Research Institute (RARI), and at the Maropeng and Sterkfontein Visitor Centres. She has worked at the Origins Centre since 2018 where she runs the public and outreach programs, temporary and permanent exhibitions, and assists with educational content and tours. She believes that the involvement of archaeological researchers in outreach projects, general academic life, and museums is vital in creating pictures of the past that are relevant and accurate. She works towards making museums relevant, decolonized, and useful spaces.
Research Discipline(s)
Brief Biography (English)