Mary Leakey directed archaeological excavations at Olduvai and Laetoli.

Mary Leakey:
- Mary Leakey was a renowned British archaeologist and paleoanthropologist who made significant contributions to the field of human evolution.
- She was born on February 6, 1913, in London, England, and passed away on December 9, 1996.
- Mary Leakey is known for her extensive work in East Africa, particularly in Tanzania.
- She conducted excavations at the Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli, two important archaeological sites in Tanzania.

Olduvai Gorge:
- Olduvai Gorge is a paleoanthropological site located in the eastern Serengeti Plains of northern Tanzania.
- It is often referred to as the "Cradle of Mankind" due to the significant discoveries made there.
- Mary Leakey began excavating at Olduvai Gorge in the 1930s, along with her husband Louis Leakey.
- The Leakeys unearthed numerous early hominin fossils at the site, including the famous discovery of the skull of Zinjanthropus (now known as Paranthropus boisei) in 1959.

Laetoli:
- Laetoli is another important archaeological site in Tanzania, located approximately 45 kilometers south of Olduvai Gorge.
- Mary Leakey led excavations at Laetoli in the 1970s.
- The site is famous for the discovery of well-preserved hominin footprints, which provided valuable insight into early human locomotion.
- These footprints, estimated to be around 3.6 million years old, are attributed to Australopithecus afarensis, a species to which the famous fossil "Lucy" belongs.

Conclusion:
Mary Leakey, along with her husband Louis Leakey, directed archaeological excavations at both Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli. Her work at these sites significantly contributed to our understanding of human evolution and provided important insights into the behavior and characteristics of early hominins.