Around 12,000 years ago, humans began one of the most important transformations in history: the shift from hunting and gathering to farming and permanent settlements. Archaeological sites such as Gobekli Tepe reveal how these early communities lived, what they believed and how agriculture transformed diet, population and social life. Across Europe and the Middle East, prehistoric societies also created huge stone monuments, tombs and ceremonial sites, moving blocks weighing many tons with surprisingly limited technology. Presented here with both episodes combined into a single video, the documentary explores the birth of farming, organized communities, belief systems and monumental architecture during the Stone Age.
The rainforest is home to more species of plants and animals than any other habitat on the planet. But for humans, life there is not as easy as it looks. Life in the trees requires great skill, ingenuity and sheer bravery. The Matis of Brazil carve 4-metre-long blow-pipes to hunt monkeys - in near total silence. Deep in the Congo forests, Tete defies death by scaling a giant tree using nothing more than a liana vine, and he must then negotiate an angry swarm of bees - all to collect honey for his family. Three children from Venezuela's Piaroa tribe venture deep into the jungle to hunt tarantulas - to toast for lunch! In West Papua the Korowai tribe show-off their engineering skills by building a high-rise home 35 metres up in the tree tops. Most memorable of all, in Brazil we join a unique monitoring flight in search an un-contacted tribe...
Across Europe and the Middle East, prehistoric societies also created huge stone monuments, tombs and ceremonial sites, moving blocks weighing many tons with surprisingly limited technology. Presented here with both episodes combined into a single video, the documentary explores the birth of farming, organized communities, belief systems and monumental architecture during the Stone Age.