Meet the “Underground Astronauts” Recovering Hominid Fossils | National Geographic

well we’re here at the rising star
expedition it’s day three tomorrow’s
d-day tomorrow’s the day we go
underground to look for and recover
hopefully some hominid fossils in an
incredible dangerous situation
I brought together a team of remarkable
what should only be called underground
astronauts they had to be masters or
PhDs in paleontology archaeology related
science they had field experience at at
caving experience and they had to be
able to fit through an 18 centimeter
squeeze it ended up the most qualified
human beings on this planet to do this
very dangerous very remarkable job we’re
young women and they’re gonna go down
and they’re gonna recover what I hope
are some of the most extraordinary human
ancestor fossils ever found I’m Becca
I’m marina I’m Hannah we’re gonna be the
first team of archaeologists to get into
the deepest part of the cave tomorrow
none of us have been into the final
chamber yet we have all been to what’s
called base one which is at the top of
Dragon’s Back and it’s sitting right
above the final chute which has the the
big or rather small squeeze going it
down into the final chamber I’m less
nervous today than it was yesterday
I am still a little bit nervous about
this squeeze down into the actual
chamber but I’ve seen it from above and
I think it’s gonna go well tomorrow
still a dangerous environment despite
all that as perhaps that we’ve done and
more comfortable we feel the better
tickled pink to be here this is amazing
yeah chance of a lifetime