Summary
Highlights
Professor Alice Roberts visits the Omo River in Ethiopia, the site where the earliest human remains, dated to 195,000 years ago, were discovered. She marvels at the remarkably complete skull cast, which provides insights into the brain size and distinctive forehead of early humans. This location is considered the closest point to the origin of our species.
Roberts travels to Pinnacle Point, South Africa, where archaeologists discovered the oldest known human dwelling, dating back 130,000 to 167,000 years. The cave reveals evidence of sophisticated toolmaking, including small bladelets likely used as composite tools like knives or hunting weapons, showcasing advanced technology for their time.
To understand the challenges faced by early humans, Roberts spends a night in the bush, experiencing the vulnerability of being exposed to predators. She hears various animal noises, including what sounds like a big cat, and the next morning discovers fresh paw prints of a large male leopard and hyenas just meters from where she slept.
Roberts investigates archaeological findings in Gault, Texas, with archaeologist Mike Collins. Discoveries here include artifacts older than the previously accepted Clovis culture, dating back 14,400 years. This challenges the long-held theory that Clovis was the first culture in the Americas and suggests alternative routes of migration.
At Monte Verde, Chile, Roberts explores a miraculously preserved human settlement, estimated to be older than Clovis sites. The site provides a rare glimpse into the daily lives of prehistoric people, with remains of a long hut, hearths, food items like potatoes and berries, and even a human footprint, dating back 14,800 years.
Roberts examines Clovis points, sophisticated spear tips dating from after the opening of the ice-free corridor in North America. Archaeologist Andy Hemmings demonstrates their lethal effectiveness in hunting large animals like mammoths and mastodons, suggesting that early Americans were formidable hunters.
In St. Petersburg, Roberts explores artifacts from the Malt'a refuge in Siberia. These include unusually small blades (due to scarce stone resources), and intricate art pieces like swan carvings and mammoth ivory plates. These artistic expressions, including figurines of women, may have served spiritual or fertility purposes during harsh Ice Age conditions.
Roberts is given the rare opportunity to hold an original Homo erectus skull from China, dating back hundreds of thousands of years. Professor Wu believes these fossils, and later upper cave skulls, show distinctive Chinese features, suggesting a continuity of lineage from Homo erectus to modern Chinese people, a theory that sparks debate.
At Dunjiao Cave in southern China, Roberts examines fragments of one of the world's oldest pots, made by hunter-gatherers. Experimental archaeologists demonstrate how these pots, tempered with calcite, might have been formed and fired at low temperatures. The development of pottery allowed for a wider range of cooked and stored food, a crucial innovation.
Roberts notes the significance of early farming, particularly the cultivation of wild rice, for the success of the Chinese people. Rice, initially not a primary food source, became increasingly vital, indicating a shift in subsistence strategies.
Roberts visits the massive Niah Cave in Southeast Asia, where a human skull, nearly 40,000 years old, was discovered. This is the oldest confirmed modern human remains in the region. The cave environment provided a favorable habitat, and archaeological evidence shows that its inhabitants consumed a diverse diet, including monkeys, pigs, lizards, shellfish, and plants.
Roberts observes a reconstructed Neanderthal skeleton, highlighting their robust build and larger brains compared to modern humans. She participates in an experiment comparing Neanderthal tools with modern human tools, discovering that Neanderthal technology was just as, if not more, efficient in terms of cutting edge and material usage, challenging previous assumptions about modern human superiority.
In Gibraltar, Roberts explores the possibility that Neanderthals made their last stand here, long after disappearing from the rest of Europe. Underwater archaeology is being conducted to uncover further evidence of these 'Neanderthal barbecues' and settlements. The disappearance of Neanderthals may have been due to population decline, disease, or inbreeding, rather than direct conflict with modern humans.
Roberts visits Pech Merle cave in France, marveling at the ancient cave paintings, including detailed depictions of horses and handprints. Art historian Michel Lorblanchet demonstrates the technique of 'spitting' paint onto the rock. These artworks are seen not just as decoration, but as symbolic expressions, possibly representing spiritual connections or territorial claims, helping early humans bond during harsh climate change.
In Australia, Roberts views over 500 ancient human footprints, dated to 20,000 years old, preserved in a former lakebed. These footprints, including those of a one-legged man hunting a kangaroo, offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of early Aboriginal people. This discovery sheds light on when humans first reached Australia.
Roberts travels to Flores Island, Indonesia, where local stories describe strange human-like creatures called 'Ebu Gogo' around the 15th century. These tales remarkably align with the discovery of Homo floresiensis, or 'the Hobbit,' a small-bodied, small-brained hominin found in Liang Bua cave. This discovery challenges our understanding of human evolution and the diversity of the human family.