Staff Profiles

Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Pretoria (2011) PhD University of the Witwatersrand (2010) MSc Human Anatomy University of Pretorial (2004) BSc Honours Human Anatomy, Unversity of Pretoria (2002) Post Graduate Diploma in Education, University of Botswana (2000) BA Humanities (Archaeolog

I received  PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand in association with the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2010. I then completed a post-doctoral position at the UP in 2011 where I was part of a team that catalogued southern African Human remains held in institutions outside the continent. In that project, I covered collections at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, The Smithsonian Institute in Washing DC and the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. I am also an accredited archaeologist at the level of Principal Investigator. My area of specialisation is grave relocations, burial archaeology, human skeletal studies as well as Iron Age archaeology of southern Africa. I have worked in different capacities in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia covering sites such as Toutswemogala, Bosutswe Domboshaba, Ingombe Illede and many others. I have presented over 30 papers in international conferences, have published 20 articles in various journals, book chapters and other sources. My publications cover different topics such as case studies burial archaeology, aDNA studies, paleopathology, paleodemography and ethics and management of human remains collections. One of my career highlights was the discovery and subsequent analysis of mummified human remains from the Tuli Block area in Botswana. I am a volunteer forensic anthropologist for the Botswana Police Services. 

1. Forensic Anthropology

2.Forensic Archaeology

2. Human Origins

3. Archaeology Of Botswana

1. Burial Archaeology
2. Human Skeletal Anatomy
3. Iron Age Archaeology of Southern Africa

1. Burial Archaeology

2. Forensic Anthropology

3. Iron Age Archaeology

4. Archaeological Heritage Management

1. Bodiba M., Steyn M., Bloomer P., Mosothwane M.N., Rühli F., Bouwman A. 2019. Ancient DNA analysis of the Thulamela remains: Deciphering the migratory patterns of a southern African population. Journal of African Archaeology, 17: 1-12

2. Mosothwane M.N. 2018. The osteological composition of the alleged victims of the Xhosa cattle-killing saga from Edward Street cemetery, King William’s Town, South Africa. Journal of Conflict Archaeology DOI: 10.1080/15740773.2017.1480428

3. Mosothwane M.N., 2016. A review of statutes and administrative jurisdictions on graves, burial grounds and human remains in Botswana. Botswana Notes and Records, 47: 69 - 78

4. Rühli F.J., Steyn M., Mosothwane M.N., Oehrstroem L., Bodiba M., and Bouwman, A., (2016) Radiological and genetic analysis of a Late iron Age mummy from the Tuli Block, Botswana,. South African Journal of Science. 112 (1/2), Art. #2015-0139, http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/ sajs.2016/20150139