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Louis Leakey was born near Nairobi, Kenya.
His parents were Harry and Mary Leakey and were both
missionaries. Some people say he was born to be an
archaeologist. He grew up with children from the Kikuyu
tribe. Leakey went to school at Cambridge University,
majoring in Anthropology. He graduated from Cambridge in
1926. After leaving school, Leakey got a job as an African
expert on an archaeological mission to Tanzania. When it was
finished, Leakey returned to Cambridge and studied
anthropology. Leakey had a view that early man developed in
Africa. He studied the Olduvai Gorge and the Homo sapiens
skeleton. He studied many sites and found many interesting
things, such as tools, bones and other artifacts. After few
years, he had gained recognition from other archaeologists,
went back to England with a two year Fellowship at St.
John’s College and got married to Frieda in 1928. Leakey
published his first book The Stone Age Cultures of Kenya
Colony. While working at St. John’s, Leakey got a grant
to go back to Olduvai Gorge. |
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Examining the
evidence |
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While he was
there he discovered the oldest Homo sapiens in the world.
People contradicted his theories. He then went back to
Africa and found older skulls whose age could be proven. In
1936 Leakey wrote his autobiography entitled White Africa
and went back and wrote about the Kikuyu culture. During
this time he remarried to a woman named Mary. In 1939 Leaky
became a Civilian Intelligence Officer for the Kenyan
government. He was later drafted to the African Intelligence
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Department. At
the end of WWII Leakey was a spy
sent to collect information for the government. In June of
1947, Leakey began an excavation at Rusinga Island. In 1949
Leakey discovered the first Proconsul skull complete with a
face; this was indeed a missing link between monkey and ape.
From |
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Working in the Field |
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this find
Leaky got an increase of research funds. Leakey then went
back to Rusinga Island to find more artifacts. In 1951 Louis
and Mary went back to the Olduvai site, here he searched for
the man who created tools. In 1959 their excavations paid
off; |
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Leakey and his
wife found a new skeleton. Louis called it "Zinj" and
displayed it at the fourth Pan African Congress. It caused
madness among the people and brought him and his wife
worldwide fame. More money was given to continue excavation
at Olduvai. Mary took over the excavation while Louis was
working at the Corynkon Museum. |
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Thinking through
evolution |
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Louis
Leakey died in 1972 of a heart attack at age 69. Mary and
their son, Richard, went on to continue his work and
discover more artifacts. |
