In the heart of southern France, the Mandrin Cave has drawn archaeologists for over three decades, its soils preserving an extraordinary archive of human life stretching back tens of thousands of years. Within its layers lie traces of fire, tools, and bones that tell the story of survival in a harsh prehistoric world. In 2015, the remarkable discovery of a Neanderthal individual—nicknamed Thorin—revealed that these ancient humans once lived side by side with the first Homo sapiens to arrive in the region. Following an international team of scientists, the investigation uncovers fragile relics of the Palaeolithic era that are rewriting our understanding of how two human species encountered one another. With every excavation, new details emerge about resilience, adaptation, and coexistence, offering a powerful re-examination of what it meant to be human 50,000 years ago. This is not only the story of the Neanderthals’ fate, but also of the deep roots of our own identity.
Spanning five gripping episodes presented together in one seamless video, this sweeping journey explores 300,000 years of human evolution, revealing groundbreaking discoveries that are reshaping everything we thought we knew about our origins. From the first appearance of Homo sapiens in Africa—at a time when at least six other human species walked the Earth—to the dramatic encounters with Neanderthals and the mysteries of their disappearance, each chapter uncovers the epic struggle for survival and dominance. As the Ice Age grips the planet, humanity pushes into the Americas, braving the harshest conditions in history. Finally, as the ice recedes, a transformation begins: the shift from wandering hunters to the builders of the first permanent settlements. This story brings to life the triumphs, dangers, and defining moments that made us who we are today.
Embark on a captivating journey as a groundbreaking excavation reveals the intricate and ingenious world of Neanderthals, challenging long-held misconceptions. At the heart of this documentary lies an extraordinary find: the most impeccably preserved Neanderthal skeleton discovered in over a quarter of a century. Dive deep into the enigmatic lives of these ancient humans, exploring the clues left behind in their fossils and uncovering the secrets of their existence and eventual disappearance. This documentary promises to change the way you perceive our ancient relatives, offering a fresh perspective on their intelligence, creativity, and the mysteries that still surround them.
According to recent science the Neanderthals are not the knuckle-dragging apemen of popular imagination. The first part of the film investigates what Neanderthals looked like and how they lived in their Ice Age world. They were faster, smarter, better looking - and much more like us than we ever thought. Our guide is Ella Al-Shamahi, who enlists the skills of Andy Serkis, the master of performance capture, and a group of experts to investigate deeply Neanderthals appearance. In the second part, Ella explores the fate of the Neanderthals - asking why they became extinct, and discovering how they live on inside of us today. About 2% of the DNA of most people is of Neanderthal origin - and it continues to affect us today. Neanderthals were a people who were supremely well adapted to their environment. But about 40,000 years ago they disappeared. Why?
David Attenborough joins an archaeological dig uncovering Britain’s biggest mammoth discovery in almost 20 years. In 2017, in a gravel quarry near Swindon, two amateur fossil hunters found an extraordinary cache of Ice Age mammoth remains and a stone hand-axe made by a Neanderthal. Professor Ben Garrod joins the team at DigVentures during the excavation as they try to discover why the mammoths were here and how they died. Could the Neanderthals have killed these Ice Age giants?
How did humanity's earliest ancestors evolve into one of the most successful species on Earth? An extraordinary journey tracing the footsteps of early hominids. Using the latest palaeoanthropological findings mixed with the latest CGI from Square Enix, this story is finally told.
Following an international team of scientists, the investigation uncovers fragile relics of the Palaeolithic era that are rewriting our understanding of how two human species encountered one another. With every excavation, new details emerge about resilience, adaptation, and coexistence, offering a powerful re-examination of what it meant to be human 50,000 years ago. This is not only the story of the Neanderthals’ fate, but also of the deep roots of our own identity.