Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:01,266 --> 00:00:02,266
♪ ♪
2
00:00:02,266 --> 00:00:03,966
ELLA AL-SHAMAHI:
Humans.
3
00:00:05,766 --> 00:00:09,133
From hunter-gatherers
4
00:00:09,133 --> 00:00:11,066
to builders of mega-cities
5
00:00:11,066 --> 00:00:15,333
in just a few thousand years.
6
00:00:15,333 --> 00:00:18,733
How did this happen?
7
00:00:18,733 --> 00:00:20,966
Our story so far,
8
00:00:20,966 --> 00:00:22,933
if it teaches us anything,
9
00:00:22,933 --> 00:00:26,233
it's that none of this
was a foregone conclusion.
10
00:00:26,233 --> 00:00:27,866
To get here,
11
00:00:27,866 --> 00:00:29,766
we had to harness nature
12
00:00:29,766 --> 00:00:33,033
at a scale
we had never known before.
13
00:00:33,033 --> 00:00:34,900
This place is stunning,
14
00:00:34,900 --> 00:00:39,300
and yet a complete and utter
death trap.
15
00:00:41,433 --> 00:00:43,666
And as we started
to lay down roots...
16
00:00:44,466 --> 00:00:46,166
Wow.
17
00:00:46,166 --> 00:00:47,900
...we faced new challenges.
18
00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:49,533
(slide projector clicks)
19
00:00:49,533 --> 00:00:52,533
In some houses, there are
up to 62 people buried in them.
20
00:00:52,533 --> 00:00:54,233
(slide projector clicks)
21
00:00:54,233 --> 00:00:59,000
AL-SHAMAHI:
Each generation
building on the last.
22
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:04,500
Sharing ideas,
inspiring, and collaborating.
23
00:01:04,500 --> 00:01:08,700
It is so hard to stand here
and not have goosebumps.
24
00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,600
We learned to communicate
in new ways...
25
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,933
This is the birthplace
of the alphabet.
26
00:01:17,933 --> 00:01:20,966
...and built marvels.
27
00:01:20,966 --> 00:01:22,200
So, this is a
28
00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,000
snapshot in time
29
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:25,333
of the building
30
00:01:25,333 --> 00:01:26,566
of the Great Pyramid.
31
00:01:26,566 --> 00:01:28,033
And you found it.
32
00:01:30,366 --> 00:01:32,900
"Human: Building Empires."
33
00:01:34,433 --> 00:01:36,766
Right now, on "NOVA."
34
00:01:36,766 --> 00:01:39,766
♪ ♪
35
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,200
(birds chirping)
36
00:02:13,233 --> 00:02:16,233
AL-SHAMAHI:
Around 300,000 years ago...
37
00:02:17,833 --> 00:02:20,900
...our species, Homo sapiens,
38
00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:23,366
evolved in Africa.
39
00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:29,133
For generations,
small bands of hunter-gatherers
40
00:02:29,133 --> 00:02:31,433
explored the planet.
41
00:02:32,966 --> 00:02:35,366
Learning to survive.
42
00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:40,500
♪ ♪
43
00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:45,133
Many other species of human
walked the Earth alongside us.
44
00:02:46,466 --> 00:02:49,733
But one by one,
they disappeared...
45
00:02:49,733 --> 00:02:53,333
♪ ♪
46
00:02:53,333 --> 00:02:56,200
...until only we remained.
47
00:02:59,866 --> 00:03:03,966
For most of our history,
our population
48
00:03:03,966 --> 00:03:05,800
was tiny and fragile.
49
00:03:08,866 --> 00:03:13,600
Every aspect of our lives
determined by the natural world.
50
00:03:15,833 --> 00:03:18,033
And yet...
51
00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:22,666
...everything would change.
52
00:03:29,166 --> 00:03:31,733
Today, there are
about eight billion of us,
53
00:03:31,733 --> 00:03:32,900
most of us living
54
00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:35,266
in cities like this one,
55
00:03:35,266 --> 00:03:40,566
able to connect in an instant
with people across the planet.
56
00:03:40,566 --> 00:03:42,666
And you might think
it was inevitable,
57
00:03:42,666 --> 00:03:45,266
the result of progress
over time.
58
00:03:45,266 --> 00:03:49,133
But surely our story so far,
if it teaches us anything,
59
00:03:49,133 --> 00:03:52,700
it's that none of this
was a foregone conclusion.
60
00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:56,533
♪ ♪
61
00:03:56,533 --> 00:03:58,866
So how did we get here?
62
00:04:00,366 --> 00:04:05,500
How did humanity transform
from scattered groups of nomads
63
00:04:05,500 --> 00:04:08,200
into our modern,
interconnected world?
64
00:04:11,033 --> 00:04:15,133
What happened in that final
chapter of our story
65
00:04:15,133 --> 00:04:18,666
that took us on a path
to this place?
66
00:04:18,666 --> 00:04:23,000
♪ ♪
67
00:04:39,966 --> 00:04:44,833
♪ ♪
68
00:04:48,133 --> 00:04:52,300
On a remote hilltop
in the southeast of Turkey...
69
00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:00,100
...stands a prehistoric monument
steeped in mystery.
70
00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:04,400
♪ ♪
71
00:05:18,066 --> 00:05:22,400
It is so hard to stand here
and not have goosebumps.
72
00:05:26,566 --> 00:05:30,366
This is the oldest temple
73
00:05:30,366 --> 00:05:34,600
unearthed anywhere
on this planet.
74
00:05:38,533 --> 00:05:42,833
It was built 11,500 years ago
by hunter-gatherers.
75
00:05:44,233 --> 00:05:48,766
That's 6,000 years earlier
than Stonehenge.
76
00:05:48,766 --> 00:05:50,400
And yet, somehow,
77
00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,333
our ancestors were capable
of making this.
78
00:05:58,033 --> 00:06:00,700
This is Göbekli Tepe.
79
00:06:00,700 --> 00:06:04,233
♪ ♪
80
00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:14,033
Incredible T-shaped pillars,
which you could imagine
81
00:06:14,033 --> 00:06:17,766
would have been holding up
a huge roof.
82
00:06:17,766 --> 00:06:20,100
And then if we look at them,
83
00:06:20,100 --> 00:06:23,900
they're covered
in these engravings.
84
00:06:23,900 --> 00:06:25,666
So, this is a fox.
85
00:06:25,666 --> 00:06:27,300
There's vultures here.
86
00:06:27,300 --> 00:06:29,800
There's bear, there's wild boar.
87
00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:30,833
And here...
88
00:06:32,066 --> 00:06:34,066
This one just has to be
my favorite.
89
00:06:34,066 --> 00:06:36,566
Look at these incredible teeth.
90
00:06:36,566 --> 00:06:39,400
And it's hunting
one of those wild boars.
91
00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,366
And yet,
92
00:06:42,366 --> 00:06:45,966
this incredible feat
of architecture
93
00:06:45,966 --> 00:06:49,033
is not the most revolutionary
thing about this place.
94
00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:56,033
Göbekli Tepe
is not simply a temple.
95
00:06:56,033 --> 00:07:00,200
It is a marker of a species
in the midst of change.
96
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,600
Similar sites have been found
across the region.
97
00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,000
♪ ♪
98
00:07:14,166 --> 00:07:17,233
In many ways,
these prehistoric builders lived
99
00:07:17,233 --> 00:07:20,766
as their ancestors had
for thousands of years.
100
00:07:21,966 --> 00:07:23,733
Their days spent
foraging and hunting
101
00:07:23,733 --> 00:07:26,000
to feed their families.
102
00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,066
(boar squeals, falls)
103
00:07:34,433 --> 00:07:38,800
♪ ♪
104
00:07:45,066 --> 00:07:47,833
But they'd made
one fundamental change.
105
00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,566
After thousands of generations
spent as nomads,
106
00:07:53,566 --> 00:07:56,766
following the herds
they hunted...
107
00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,133
...at places like Göbekli Tepe,
108
00:08:05,133 --> 00:08:08,633
they began to settle down.
109
00:08:14,900 --> 00:08:19,233
The evidence lies
not in the temple itself...
110
00:08:20,566 --> 00:08:23,133
...but in the rubble
surrounding it.
111
00:08:30,066 --> 00:08:33,533
Now, this might not look
like much compared to that,
112
00:08:33,533 --> 00:08:37,500
but this small square building
is actually the remains
113
00:08:37,500 --> 00:08:41,500
of one of the first permanent
houses ever built.
114
00:08:47,333 --> 00:08:49,600
That there is a storage vessel,
115
00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,500
this is a grinding stone
for wild wheat,
116
00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:56,133
and this floor
of plaster and stone,
117
00:08:56,133 --> 00:08:58,233
this was somebody's home.
118
00:08:58,233 --> 00:09:03,666
♪ ♪
119
00:09:03,666 --> 00:09:07,166
This is one
of the first villages.
120
00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:16,200
Archaeologists think
maybe a few hundred people
121
00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:17,933
were living here.
122
00:09:19,233 --> 00:09:21,766
And calling it home.
123
00:09:25,666 --> 00:09:28,166
For 300,000 years,
124
00:09:28,166 --> 00:09:32,000
Homo sapiens roamed freely.
125
00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,933
But now they were gathering
together to put down roots.
126
00:09:36,933 --> 00:09:40,600
And so, the question is, why?
127
00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,200
And why now?
128
00:09:44,366 --> 00:09:48,700
♪ ♪
129
00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:53,566
(birds chirping)
130
00:09:53,566 --> 00:09:56,300
(buzzing)
131
00:09:58,100 --> 00:10:01,333
This was a world of plenty.
132
00:10:01,333 --> 00:10:04,233
Warm and abundant.
133
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,500
But the planet had not always
been this way.
134
00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,566
Only a few thousand years
earlier,
135
00:10:13,566 --> 00:10:16,400
Homo sapiens were on the move...
136
00:10:18,733 --> 00:10:22,766
...contending with the brutal
peak of the last ice age.
137
00:10:24,333 --> 00:10:27,300
Now that the climate
had stabilized,
138
00:10:27,300 --> 00:10:31,500
food could remain abundant
in a single place for longer.
139
00:10:33,100 --> 00:10:35,733
And so, people started to stay.
140
00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:39,533
And when large groups
came together to trade
141
00:10:39,533 --> 00:10:41,966
and share their bounty,
142
00:10:41,966 --> 00:10:44,633
a feature of our brain
had an opportunity to flourish
143
00:10:44,633 --> 00:10:46,666
like never before.
144
00:10:46,666 --> 00:10:50,266
♪ ♪
145
00:10:50,266 --> 00:10:53,233
Our almost limitless capacity
to learn.
146
00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:57,100
♪ ♪
147
00:10:59,900 --> 00:11:03,633
An ability with roots
that can be traced way back,
148
00:11:03,633 --> 00:11:07,733
right to the beginning
of the human story.
149
00:11:07,733 --> 00:11:08,766
(slide projector clicks)
150
00:11:12,666 --> 00:11:15,100
As the distant ancestors
of our species
151
00:11:15,100 --> 00:11:17,500
were gradually evolving...
152
00:11:17,500 --> 00:11:18,533
(slide projector clicks)
153
00:11:21,233 --> 00:11:24,166
...they were developing
larger brains.
154
00:11:25,633 --> 00:11:26,666
(slide projector clicks)
155
00:11:29,666 --> 00:11:31,666
But as their brains grew,
156
00:11:31,666 --> 00:11:34,966
the way they were organized
was evolving, too.
157
00:11:34,966 --> 00:11:36,000
(slide projector clicks)
158
00:11:37,700 --> 00:11:41,933
Becoming increasingly adaptable,
and more able to change
159
00:11:41,933 --> 00:11:45,966
in response to stimulation
from the outside world.
160
00:11:45,966 --> 00:11:47,000
(slide projector clicks)
161
00:11:49,566 --> 00:11:52,133
Until they became us.
162
00:11:54,100 --> 00:11:57,666
A species with
a highly flexible mind.
163
00:12:01,066 --> 00:12:05,866
♪ ♪
164
00:12:05,866 --> 00:12:08,266
We call this flexibility
neuroplasticity
165
00:12:08,266 --> 00:12:11,100
because it's like our brains
are plastic.
166
00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:12,966
They adapt, they alter,
167
00:12:12,966 --> 00:12:15,300
and they change.
168
00:12:15,300 --> 00:12:18,066
It has some profound effects.
169
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:23,766
♪ ♪
170
00:12:25,566 --> 00:12:28,500
(fire crackling, kids laughing)
171
00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:31,033
♪ ♪
172
00:12:31,033 --> 00:12:34,833
AL-SHAMAHI:
With such a high level
of neuroplasticity,
173
00:12:34,833 --> 00:12:37,733
Homo sapiens' skill
at learning from each other
174
00:12:37,733 --> 00:12:40,700
makes for expert collaboration.
175
00:12:44,566 --> 00:12:47,833
♪ ♪
176
00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:49,500
At places like Göbekli Tepe,
177
00:12:49,500 --> 00:12:52,933
they gathered together
to trade, feast,
178
00:12:52,933 --> 00:12:55,066
and share ideas.
179
00:12:56,933 --> 00:12:58,466
And they carved these ideas
180
00:12:58,466 --> 00:13:01,666
into the stones.
181
00:13:01,666 --> 00:13:03,766
The odd thing about being human
182
00:13:03,766 --> 00:13:07,466
is that we are constantly
surrounded by a bunch of things
183
00:13:07,466 --> 00:13:10,266
that are so all-encompassing,
184
00:13:10,266 --> 00:13:12,200
and yet we never really think
185
00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:14,933
about where they started
or where they come from.
186
00:13:14,933 --> 00:13:17,200
I'm talking here about culture.
187
00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:22,666
♪ ♪
188
00:13:22,666 --> 00:13:25,033
Ritual, custom, language, art--
189
00:13:25,033 --> 00:13:28,866
stories and ideas
190
00:13:28,866 --> 00:13:31,933
that have been passed down
orally through generations
191
00:13:31,933 --> 00:13:33,900
and have now found
physical form.
192
00:13:40,766 --> 00:13:44,233
Places like Göbekli Tepe became
so rich in meaning.
193
00:13:44,233 --> 00:13:45,833
(child laughing)
194
00:13:45,833 --> 00:13:48,133
AL-SHAMAHI:
And culture flourished.
195
00:13:48,133 --> 00:13:53,900
♪ ♪
196
00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:57,633
Cooperating
and building connections...
197
00:13:59,700 --> 00:14:02,700
...are what our brains
are actually set up to do.
198
00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:03,733
(slide projector clicks)
199
00:14:04,866 --> 00:14:06,833
Wherever humans settled down,
200
00:14:06,833 --> 00:14:09,700
an explosion in creativity
followed.
201
00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:11,266
(slide projector clicks)
202
00:14:11,266 --> 00:14:14,166
Launching an era
of extraordinary innovation.
203
00:14:14,166 --> 00:14:15,400
(slide projector clicks)
204
00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,200
We can see
the results of this shift
205
00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:19,066
in the archaeological record.
206
00:14:19,066 --> 00:14:20,466
(slide projector clicking)
207
00:14:20,466 --> 00:14:23,400
Which begins to seethe
with the debris
208
00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,766
of new technology.
209
00:14:25,766 --> 00:14:26,800
(slide projector clicks)
210
00:14:30,433 --> 00:14:32,733
But one innovation
from around this time
211
00:14:32,733 --> 00:14:36,600
would have consequences greater
than the settlers could
212
00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,466
possibly have imagined.
213
00:14:41,700 --> 00:14:42,733
(lamb bleats)
214
00:14:49,066 --> 00:14:52,066
They were now no longer
tracking seasonal herds,
215
00:14:52,066 --> 00:14:56,600
but seeking safe, reliable ways
216
00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,100
to feed themselves.
217
00:14:58,100 --> 00:14:59,300
(goat bleats)
218
00:14:59,300 --> 00:15:01,100
They'd stopped
chasing their food
219
00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:02,933
and started rearing it...
220
00:15:04,833 --> 00:15:09,466
...providing a regular supply
of milk, cheese, and yogurt.
221
00:15:13,066 --> 00:15:14,766
And later,
222
00:15:14,766 --> 00:15:16,400
textiles, like wool.
223
00:15:17,700 --> 00:15:21,033
Season after season.
224
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:25,833
(slide projector clicking)
225
00:15:29,766 --> 00:15:31,166
The farming of animals
226
00:15:31,166 --> 00:15:33,100
marked a watershed moment.
227
00:15:36,933 --> 00:15:40,733
The result of this I don't
think could have been predicted.
228
00:15:40,733 --> 00:15:43,200
This altered relationship
229
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:44,800
that they had with animals
230
00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,433
altered them, because not long
231
00:15:47,433 --> 00:15:50,000
after they learnt
how to do this,
232
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,400
something fascinating happened.
233
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:56,000
(fire crackling, baby cooing)
234
00:15:58,633 --> 00:16:01,833
Their population
started to boom.
235
00:16:06,233 --> 00:16:08,233
We're not really sure
why this happened,
236
00:16:08,233 --> 00:16:09,766
but one compelling theory
237
00:16:09,766 --> 00:16:11,933
is that people
staying in one place
238
00:16:11,933 --> 00:16:14,766
and not moving as much,
but also having more food,
239
00:16:14,766 --> 00:16:16,433
having more calories,
240
00:16:16,433 --> 00:16:20,766
basically led to mums having
more energy for reproduction.
241
00:16:20,766 --> 00:16:24,933
♪ ♪
242
00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,266
As our numbers rose,
settlements began springing up.
243
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:39,933
Scattered across an area we now
call the Fertile Crescent.
244
00:16:41,966 --> 00:16:45,833
(rooster crows)
245
00:16:48,633 --> 00:16:51,666
As their populations grew,
246
00:16:51,666 --> 00:16:55,300
villages transformed into towns.
247
00:16:55,300 --> 00:16:58,266
♪ ♪
248
00:16:58,266 --> 00:16:59,300
(slide projector clicks)
249
00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:04,400
♪ ♪
250
00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:07,833
(slide projector clicks)
251
00:17:14,733 --> 00:17:19,066
And one particularly
large settlement was Çatalhöyük.
252
00:17:19,066 --> 00:17:24,600
♪ ♪
253
00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,833
A strange forerunner
of the towns and cities
254
00:17:27,833 --> 00:17:29,833
we know today.
255
00:17:32,100 --> 00:17:33,333
Wow.
256
00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:39,133
Every single one of these
is a house?
That's right.
257
00:17:39,133 --> 00:17:40,766
And you have to imagine
of course,
258
00:17:40,766 --> 00:17:42,633
that each of these houses
is a box
259
00:17:42,633 --> 00:17:43,766
with, with a roof.
260
00:17:43,766 --> 00:17:46,233
But, uh, there's no space,
really,
261
00:17:46,233 --> 00:17:47,700
between them, like a beehive.
262
00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:50,833
The fact that they're all
tightly up against each other
263
00:17:50,833 --> 00:17:54,433
means that the whole thing is
much more structurally sound.
264
00:17:55,900 --> 00:17:57,800
AL-SHAMAHI:
There's literally no gap.
265
00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,633
The only way you can
get in the house
266
00:18:00,633 --> 00:18:03,500
is to move along the roofs
and go down through a hole
267
00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:05,933
into the house because
there's no streets.
268
00:18:07,266 --> 00:18:12,300
♪ ♪
269
00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,433
AL-SHAMAHI:
Each dwelling was small and had
its door in the ceiling.
270
00:18:22,700 --> 00:18:26,566
The inhabitants
lived much of their lives
271
00:18:26,566 --> 00:18:28,200
up on the roofs.
272
00:18:29,733 --> 00:18:32,233
Grinding grain, trading,
273
00:18:32,233 --> 00:18:36,433
and feasting in the bright
sunlight above their homes.
274
00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:40,733
And these farmers left behind
intriguing signs
275
00:18:40,733 --> 00:18:43,266
that they were here to stay.
276
00:18:43,266 --> 00:18:45,800
What are those holes
over there?
277
00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:47,066
These are
the ancestors
278
00:18:47,066 --> 00:18:49,400
who are buried
beneath the floors.
279
00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,000
In some houses, there are up
to 62 people buried in them.
280
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,133
AL-SHAMAHI:
I mean, Ian,
60-odd people being buried,
281
00:18:56,133 --> 00:18:58,000
that's a graveyard in a home.
282
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,233
We've dug up
hundreds of burials here.
283
00:19:00,233 --> 00:19:03,066
And what's fascinating is
that people were sleeping
284
00:19:03,066 --> 00:19:04,933
just a few centimeters
285
00:19:04,933 --> 00:19:07,100
from the bones
of their ancestors.
286
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:10,600
(slide projector clicks)
287
00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:14,333
♪ ♪
288
00:19:14,333 --> 00:19:15,366
(slide projector clicks)
289
00:19:18,933 --> 00:19:23,433
♪ ♪
290
00:19:26,066 --> 00:19:30,900
AL-SHAMAHI:
Between the dead,
the living, and their animals,
291
00:19:30,900 --> 00:19:34,300
this thriving town
was densely packed.
292
00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,233
At its height, some people
think there were 8,000 people
293
00:19:39,233 --> 00:19:40,833
living at Çatalhöyük,
294
00:19:40,833 --> 00:19:43,466
so that's one of the largest
settlements
295
00:19:43,466 --> 00:19:45,933
on the planet at this point.
296
00:19:45,933 --> 00:19:50,233
And yet, the formula for success
that was playing out here
297
00:19:50,233 --> 00:19:53,800
also turned out
to be a bit of a disaster.
298
00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:55,966
(goat bleating)
299
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,733
Our pioneering farmer ancestors
couldn't have known it,
300
00:20:01,733 --> 00:20:05,133
but they had opened
Pandora's box.
301
00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:08,133
(slide projector clicks)
302
00:20:11,566 --> 00:20:14,600
Amongst the many burials
of Çatalhöyük...
303
00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:15,633
(slide projector clicks)
304
00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:21,633
...were skull after skull with
clear signs of violent impact.
305
00:20:23,100 --> 00:20:25,333
♪ ♪
306
00:20:25,333 --> 00:20:28,600
And it's something not only seen
at Çatalhöyük.
307
00:20:29,966 --> 00:20:31,000
(slide projector clicks)
308
00:20:32,566 --> 00:20:33,666
(slide projector clicking)
309
00:20:33,666 --> 00:20:35,966
In many early
farming settlements,
310
00:20:35,966 --> 00:20:40,400
we start to see the unmistakable
signs of violence.
311
00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:41,433
(slide projector clicks)
312
00:20:43,266 --> 00:20:46,300
Suggesting the two
might be connected.
313
00:20:47,366 --> 00:20:51,466
♪ ♪
314
00:20:51,466 --> 00:20:55,166
Choosing to live like this,
in such close proximity
315
00:20:55,166 --> 00:20:57,000
with your neighbors,
316
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,166
with the animals
which you're breeding,
317
00:21:00,166 --> 00:21:03,233
with your rubbish,
318
00:21:03,233 --> 00:21:06,066
in a way that has never been
seen before,
319
00:21:06,066 --> 00:21:08,666
leads to this cascade.
320
00:21:10,833 --> 00:21:16,166
The densely populated towns had
become exposed to new dangers.
321
00:21:16,166 --> 00:21:19,633
Living with their animals
spread disease.
322
00:21:19,633 --> 00:21:21,800
Their dependence on crops
made them vulnerable
323
00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:23,300
to failed harvests.
324
00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:26,900
(people shouting)
325
00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:28,866
AL-SHAMAHI:
And with ever-growing
competition for the land
326
00:21:28,866 --> 00:21:30,500
near the settlement,
327
00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:34,066
people were not only trying
to battle nature,
328
00:21:34,066 --> 00:21:36,266
they were battling each other.
329
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,766
♪ ♪
330
00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,266
These challenges prevented towns
331
00:21:51,266 --> 00:21:53,866
from growing
into great metropolises.
332
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,100
Instead, growth was followed
by collapse
333
00:21:59,100 --> 00:22:01,666
and often exodus.
334
00:22:07,766 --> 00:22:09,933
And as the early town dwellers
335
00:22:09,933 --> 00:22:12,833
left their homes and farms
in droves,
336
00:22:12,833 --> 00:22:14,766
they faced a choice.
337
00:22:16,866 --> 00:22:18,866
To settle down again
338
00:22:18,866 --> 00:22:23,066
or rejoin the vast majority
of humans across the globe
339
00:22:23,066 --> 00:22:25,766
still living nomadic lives.
340
00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,966
♪ ♪
341
00:22:39,666 --> 00:22:42,700
For me, this is one of
the biggest mysteries
342
00:22:42,700 --> 00:22:46,300
in the history of our species.
343
00:22:46,300 --> 00:22:50,366
Because for the very first
settlers, it was a disaster.
344
00:22:50,366 --> 00:22:53,666
They were facing disease
and famine.
345
00:22:53,666 --> 00:22:56,366
And yet, at the very same time,
346
00:22:56,366 --> 00:23:00,700
across the planet,
hunter-gatherers were thriving.
347
00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:03,933
And that way of life
we know works,
348
00:23:03,933 --> 00:23:08,000
because today, millions of
people live like that.
349
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,200
They have made it
to the 21st century
350
00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,600
just like the rest of us.
351
00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,600
And yet we know
how this story ends.
352
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:20,200
Most of us live in huge cities
like this.
353
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,566
♪ ♪
354
00:23:27,566 --> 00:23:31,966
♪ ♪
355
00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:35,500
So, what set us on a path
356
00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:38,266
to where we are now?
357
00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,400
Clues can be found
along the great rivers
358
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,966
of the ancient world.
359
00:23:56,966 --> 00:24:00,500
♪ ♪
360
00:24:10,900 --> 00:24:14,166
There are bits of our story
where geography
361
00:24:14,166 --> 00:24:17,000
just does not feel like a fluke.
362
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,200
Where, if it was gonna happen,
363
00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,000
it was always gonna happen here,
and that's how you feel
364
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,400
on the Nile as an archaeologist.
365
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,966
Because five-and-a-half
thousand years ago,
366
00:24:26,966 --> 00:24:30,400
if you wanted to build
something permanent
367
00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,733
and you were in Egypt
or Mesopotamia,
368
00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:34,900
which is mostly
in modern-day Iraq,
369
00:24:34,900 --> 00:24:37,900
the only real place to do it
was along the Nile
370
00:24:37,900 --> 00:24:40,033
or the Tigris and Euphrates.
371
00:24:40,033 --> 00:24:43,033
♪ ♪
372
00:24:43,033 --> 00:24:46,166
Because beyond
the thin strips of green
373
00:24:46,166 --> 00:24:49,000
that cut through
this arid landscape,
374
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,300
there is very little
but sand and death.
375
00:24:52,300 --> 00:24:57,500
♪ ♪
376
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:05,133
This narrow strip
of habitable land
377
00:25:05,133 --> 00:25:09,533
was one of the few places
to grow food and raise animals.
378
00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:12,633
But to produce enough,
379
00:25:12,633 --> 00:25:15,933
they had to control
this natural resource.
380
00:25:15,933 --> 00:25:18,566
The people needed
to direct the water
381
00:25:18,566 --> 00:25:20,100
on to their fields
382
00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:24,000
and harvest en masse
once a year.
383
00:25:25,533 --> 00:25:30,700
And so, they had no choice
but to live and work together.
384
00:25:34,366 --> 00:25:36,733
♪ ♪
385
00:25:40,766 --> 00:25:43,533
The people flooded
into the Nile Valley,
386
00:25:43,533 --> 00:25:45,633
jostling for space.
387
00:25:45,633 --> 00:25:49,100
(people talking in background)
388
00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:52,466
♪ ♪
389
00:25:52,466 --> 00:25:55,700
AL-SHAMAHI:
But now, instead of abandoning
their communities
390
00:25:55,700 --> 00:25:57,900
when the towns
became overcrowded...
391
00:25:57,900 --> 00:26:00,233
(people talking in background)
392
00:26:00,233 --> 00:26:02,333
...they restructured them.
393
00:26:02,333 --> 00:26:06,033
♪ ♪
394
00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,433
When you live in a small group,
395
00:26:10,433 --> 00:26:12,000
you've all got to be good,
396
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:13,333
or at least competent,
397
00:26:13,333 --> 00:26:15,333
at everything to survive.
398
00:26:15,333 --> 00:26:18,500
But living in a larger group,
399
00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:20,600
you can suddenly specialize.
400
00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:22,866
Some of you might become
really good
401
00:26:22,866 --> 00:26:24,900
at a particular kind
of textile-making.
402
00:26:24,900 --> 00:26:26,166
Others might become
stone makers,
403
00:26:26,166 --> 00:26:28,533
butchers, bakers.
404
00:26:28,533 --> 00:26:31,533
Probably not
candlestick makers, yet.
405
00:26:31,533 --> 00:26:34,633
All cogs in a huge machine
406
00:26:34,633 --> 00:26:37,800
at a scale
that had never been seen before.
407
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:42,900
♪ ♪
408
00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:46,866
The people
of these busy settlements
409
00:26:46,866 --> 00:26:49,166
were becoming part
of a social group...
410
00:26:49,166 --> 00:26:52,466
♪ ♪
411
00:26:52,466 --> 00:26:55,700
...with hundreds or thousands
of strangers.
412
00:26:57,633 --> 00:26:58,900
And in the process,
413
00:26:58,900 --> 00:27:02,166
laying the foundation
for something brand-new.
414
00:27:02,166 --> 00:27:04,266
♪ ♪
415
00:27:04,266 --> 00:27:06,566
(birds chirping)
416
00:27:11,666 --> 00:27:14,433
Now, I know archaeologists
are constantly pointing at walls
417
00:27:14,433 --> 00:27:17,200
and trying to convince people
of how important they are,
418
00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:20,833
but this wall,
this absolutely huge wall,
419
00:27:20,833 --> 00:27:24,900
is pretty much all that's left
of the original city of Abydos.
420
00:27:24,900 --> 00:27:29,466
Abydos was one of the very
first cities in Egypt,
421
00:27:29,466 --> 00:27:32,733
and walls that look like this
would have surrounded the city,
422
00:27:32,733 --> 00:27:35,733
indicating a momentous shift
in the way
423
00:27:35,733 --> 00:27:37,366
humans live together.
424
00:27:37,366 --> 00:27:40,100
Because to be on this side
of the wall
425
00:27:40,100 --> 00:27:42,266
meant protection
426
00:27:42,266 --> 00:27:44,433
and access to the grain stores.
427
00:27:44,433 --> 00:27:46,166
But to be on that side
of the wall
428
00:27:46,166 --> 00:27:48,066
meant to literally be without.
429
00:27:48,066 --> 00:27:50,966
Now, humans
have always been tribal.
430
00:27:50,966 --> 00:27:55,166
We've always been able to act
and think as part of a group.
431
00:27:55,166 --> 00:27:58,566
But what places like this prove
432
00:27:58,566 --> 00:28:03,766
is that tribalism was scalable
to the size of a city.
433
00:28:03,766 --> 00:28:07,200
♪ ♪
434
00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,566
All along the great rivers
of the ancient world...
435
00:28:10,566 --> 00:28:12,133
(slide projector clicks)
436
00:28:12,133 --> 00:28:14,866
...huge cities began to appear
437
00:28:14,866 --> 00:28:16,400
as our ancestors
438
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,233
found the secret
to living at scale.
439
00:28:19,233 --> 00:28:22,200
♪ ♪
440
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,800
(slide projector clicks)
A change which would
propel us forward
441
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:27,233
at an astonishing rate.
442
00:28:27,233 --> 00:28:30,366
(people talking in background)
443
00:28:30,366 --> 00:28:32,233
AL-SHAMAHI:
The cities thrived.
444
00:28:32,233 --> 00:28:37,500
♪ ♪
445
00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:39,733
Their newly specialized
populations
446
00:28:39,733 --> 00:28:42,933
invented, made, and traded
447
00:28:42,933 --> 00:28:45,666
an unprecedented number
of objects.
448
00:28:45,666 --> 00:28:49,566
(people talking in background)
449
00:28:49,566 --> 00:28:51,433
And in the process,
450
00:28:51,433 --> 00:28:52,966
created a tool,
451
00:28:52,966 --> 00:28:55,233
unassuming at first glance,
452
00:28:55,233 --> 00:28:58,433
that would become
a powerful instrument.
453
00:29:01,266 --> 00:29:03,766
I know they don't look
like much.
454
00:29:03,766 --> 00:29:08,233
They look like just
square pieces of bone.
455
00:29:08,233 --> 00:29:11,533
They were found in Abydos,
in a tomb
456
00:29:11,533 --> 00:29:15,266
thought to be that of a king
457
00:29:15,266 --> 00:29:17,033
known as the Scorpion King
458
00:29:17,033 --> 00:29:18,766
from about 5,300 years ago.
459
00:29:18,766 --> 00:29:21,300
Now, some of these symbols are
460
00:29:21,300 --> 00:29:23,266
very recognizable.
461
00:29:23,266 --> 00:29:24,966
That's obviously a bird.
462
00:29:27,066 --> 00:29:29,366
This is a plant of some kind.
463
00:29:29,366 --> 00:29:31,566
And notice the holes in them.
464
00:29:31,566 --> 00:29:35,233
These are effectively
labels or tags.
465
00:29:35,233 --> 00:29:38,533
And these symbols
466
00:29:38,533 --> 00:29:40,600
perhaps represented
the provenance
467
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,833
where the item that they
were attached to came from.
468
00:29:43,833 --> 00:29:47,633
Perhaps they have a quantity,
as well, attached to them.
469
00:29:47,633 --> 00:29:48,933
And then,
470
00:29:48,933 --> 00:29:52,300
someone had this absolutely
revolutionary idea.
471
00:29:52,300 --> 00:29:55,866
What if they strung them
together?
472
00:29:57,900 --> 00:30:02,966
♪ ♪
473
00:30:08,333 --> 00:30:10,466
With some local knowledge
474
00:30:10,466 --> 00:30:12,466
to give them a shared meaning,
475
00:30:12,466 --> 00:30:14,066
gradually, the rows of images
476
00:30:14,066 --> 00:30:16,066
became more complex.
477
00:30:19,033 --> 00:30:22,433
Until
478
00:30:22,433 --> 00:30:24,633
we stopped labeling
479
00:30:24,633 --> 00:30:26,666
and started writing.
480
00:30:35,966 --> 00:30:39,133
Detailed knowledge and culture
481
00:30:39,133 --> 00:30:41,033
that had previously been
passed down,
482
00:30:41,033 --> 00:30:44,233
generation to generation
to generation,
483
00:30:44,233 --> 00:30:48,633
was now able to be preserved
in a completely different way.
484
00:30:48,633 --> 00:30:50,800
And the thing with writing
485
00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:54,300
is that, like so many
of the giant leaps forward
486
00:30:54,300 --> 00:30:56,200
that we have made as a species--
487
00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,566
and I, I'm thinking here about
the invention of agriculture,
488
00:30:58,566 --> 00:31:00,966
and metalworks, and the wheel--
489
00:31:00,966 --> 00:31:03,933
writing does seem like an idea
490
00:31:03,933 --> 00:31:07,033
whose time had come.
491
00:31:07,033 --> 00:31:09,466
Because it doesn't just happen
in Egypt.
492
00:31:09,466 --> 00:31:13,966
♪ ♪
493
00:31:13,966 --> 00:31:17,066
Again and again
across the Earth,
494
00:31:17,066 --> 00:31:19,366
we invented forms of writing.
495
00:31:19,366 --> 00:31:23,433
♪ ♪
496
00:31:25,433 --> 00:31:31,166
Giving our facts, stories,
and ideas lasting form.
497
00:31:33,366 --> 00:31:37,466
(people talking in background)
498
00:31:37,466 --> 00:31:39,600
AL-SHAMAHI:
And we still have
no conclusive evidence
499
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,400
as to how, or even whether,
500
00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,966
these events
influenced each other
501
00:31:44,966 --> 00:31:47,233
or whether they happened
organically,
502
00:31:47,233 --> 00:31:51,133
as a result of needing to keep
track of things at that scale.
503
00:31:51,133 --> 00:31:52,666
But however it happened,
504
00:31:52,666 --> 00:31:54,200
once writing was a thing,
505
00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,566
once it was out there
in the world,
506
00:31:56,566 --> 00:32:00,833
then nothing would be the same
ever again.
507
00:32:00,833 --> 00:32:05,033
♪ ♪
508
00:32:05,033 --> 00:32:08,566
Now laws, customs, and beliefs
509
00:32:08,566 --> 00:32:11,566
could be recorded permanently
in ink.
510
00:32:18,133 --> 00:32:20,766
But with over 700 symbols,
511
00:32:20,766 --> 00:32:24,000
this technology required
years of study to master.
512
00:32:25,833 --> 00:32:30,433
And so was the sole preserve
of those trained to use it--
513
00:32:30,433 --> 00:32:33,433
scribes working
for the ruling class.
514
00:32:37,966 --> 00:32:40,066
And the ability to send out
515
00:32:40,066 --> 00:32:43,333
detailed instructions
to people across the land
516
00:32:43,333 --> 00:32:45,933
gave the rulers enormous power
517
00:32:45,933 --> 00:32:49,100
to influence, instruct,
and build.
518
00:32:50,333 --> 00:32:53,266
(slide projector clicking)
519
00:32:53,266 --> 00:32:54,766
In 2013,
520
00:32:54,766 --> 00:32:57,666
a team of archaeologists
were excavating
521
00:32:57,666 --> 00:32:59,333
a cave on the Red Sea coast...
522
00:32:59,333 --> 00:33:00,766
(slide projector clicks)
523
00:33:02,433 --> 00:33:06,400
...when they found ancient
fragments of inscribed papyrus.
524
00:33:08,233 --> 00:33:09,266
(slide projector clicks)
525
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,633
Preserved there
for over 4,000 years...
526
00:33:17,633 --> 00:33:18,733
(slide projector clicks)
527
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,133
...they're believed to be
the oldest ever found...
528
00:33:24,133 --> 00:33:28,666
♪ ♪
529
00:33:28,666 --> 00:33:34,500
...and a time capsule from
the reign of an iconic ruler.
530
00:33:34,500 --> 00:33:36,633
So, this is...
531
00:33:36,633 --> 00:33:38,933
This is your actual excavation
notebook from the time?
532
00:33:38,933 --> 00:33:41,233
PIERRE TALLET:
Yeah, yeah-- every day,
I was recording
533
00:33:41,233 --> 00:33:42,666
the papyri,
534
00:33:42,666 --> 00:33:45,100
and we were surprised to find
most of them
535
00:33:45,100 --> 00:33:46,500
have the name of a king,
536
00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:48,966
and this pharaoh is Khufu,
537
00:33:48,966 --> 00:33:50,466
the builder of
the Great Pyramid.
538
00:33:52,166 --> 00:33:53,200
(slide projector clicks)
539
00:33:54,500 --> 00:33:57,866
AL-SHAMAHI:
Khufu ruled Egypt
for over two decades,
540
00:33:57,866 --> 00:34:01,100
and one of humankind's
most iconic constructions
541
00:34:01,100 --> 00:34:03,366
was built to honor him:
542
00:34:03,366 --> 00:34:05,766
the first of
the pyramids of Giza.
543
00:34:12,166 --> 00:34:16,933
The team discovered
around 1,000 pieces of papyrus,
544
00:34:16,933 --> 00:34:20,033
revealing a vastly complex
construction project.
545
00:34:21,700 --> 00:34:22,766
Wow.
Yeah.
546
00:34:22,766 --> 00:34:24,500
It belongs to a kind of
elites
547
00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:25,500
at that time,
548
00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:27,533
because we don't think that
549
00:34:27,533 --> 00:34:28,700
more than one percent
of the population
550
00:34:28,700 --> 00:34:30,400
was able to read and write.
551
00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:31,400
It's a logbook,
552
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,266
and for example here,
553
00:34:33,266 --> 00:34:35,033
on the first day of the month,
554
00:34:35,033 --> 00:34:37,233
they are sending
a boat to Heliopolis
555
00:34:37,233 --> 00:34:38,833
to fetch the food
for the workers.
556
00:34:38,833 --> 00:34:40,233
And when it arrives,
557
00:34:40,233 --> 00:34:41,400
it's written in red,
558
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:43,533
because it's much more
important for them
559
00:34:43,533 --> 00:34:44,666
than everything else.
560
00:34:45,933 --> 00:34:48,766
About 40 days,
you have a precise record
561
00:34:48,766 --> 00:34:50,100
of what, what he is doing.
562
00:34:51,666 --> 00:34:54,533
Egyptian extracted
fine limestone blocks
563
00:34:54,533 --> 00:34:57,300
that were used to, for
the building
564
00:34:57,300 --> 00:34:58,933
of the outer casing
of the pyramids.
565
00:34:58,933 --> 00:35:00,900
So, this is...
566
00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:02,366
This is telling us
567
00:35:02,366 --> 00:35:04,166
how they built...
Mm.
568
00:35:04,166 --> 00:35:05,833
...the pyramids, basically.
Yeah, this is, this...
569
00:35:05,833 --> 00:35:07,700
This, this is the
administration behind it all.
This is, yeah.
570
00:35:07,700 --> 00:35:10,966
That, that's absolutely
incredible.
571
00:35:10,966 --> 00:35:15,466
So, this is
a snapshot in time
572
00:35:15,466 --> 00:35:18,100
of the building
of the Great Pyramid.
573
00:35:18,100 --> 00:35:19,100
Mm.
574
00:35:19,100 --> 00:35:21,633
And you found it.
575
00:35:21,633 --> 00:35:23,866
♪ ♪
576
00:35:23,866 --> 00:35:25,866
Without all those records,
577
00:35:25,866 --> 00:35:28,100
I think the pyramid would not
have been possible.
578
00:35:28,100 --> 00:35:33,133
♪ ♪
579
00:35:35,833 --> 00:35:38,433
AL-SHAMAHI:
You can't really overstate
580
00:35:38,433 --> 00:35:41,733
the significance
of finding a document like that.
581
00:35:41,733 --> 00:35:45,833
One from such a pivotal moment
in history.
582
00:35:45,833 --> 00:35:47,733
And when
you read the translation,
583
00:35:47,733 --> 00:35:50,266
you definitely do get a sense
584
00:35:50,266 --> 00:35:53,033
of what a logistical feat
it was,
585
00:35:53,033 --> 00:35:56,466
building these things.
586
00:35:56,466 --> 00:36:00,633
But you do also get a real sense
587
00:36:00,633 --> 00:36:04,000
of how mundane and bureaucratic
it all was,
588
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,233
just kind of ordinary humans
doing ordinary human things.
589
00:36:07,233 --> 00:36:11,300
Between the invention of writing
590
00:36:11,300 --> 00:36:13,833
and the building
of the pyramids,
591
00:36:13,833 --> 00:36:16,633
there were no major
technological advancements
592
00:36:16,633 --> 00:36:18,300
that we know of in Egypt.
593
00:36:20,666 --> 00:36:22,933
And so, for 4,500 years,
594
00:36:22,933 --> 00:36:25,700
people have looked at these
595
00:36:25,700 --> 00:36:29,166
and just had their breath
taken away,
596
00:36:29,166 --> 00:36:33,600
and wondered how on Earth
were they built.
597
00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,533
And perhaps the answer
is just this simple:
598
00:36:37,533 --> 00:36:40,133
writing built the pyramids.
599
00:36:40,133 --> 00:36:43,833
♪ ♪
600
00:36:43,833 --> 00:36:47,800
And even though they were
originally built for the elites,
601
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:52,400
they actually became symbols
of national identity,
602
00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,000
which bind huge groups
of people together
603
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,133
on an unconscious level.
604
00:36:57,133 --> 00:37:00,900
♪ ♪
605
00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:02,800
The unit of human cooperation
606
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,400
had grown from tribe to village
607
00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,566
to town to city...
608
00:37:11,766 --> 00:37:13,933
...and now to nation.
609
00:37:13,933 --> 00:37:16,966
♪ ♪
610
00:37:21,500 --> 00:37:24,933
But alongside the emergence
of these nation states
611
00:37:24,933 --> 00:37:29,433
was a more sinister development
at a new scale.
612
00:37:29,433 --> 00:37:30,600
(slide projector clicking)
613
00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,766
What had once been
tribal skirmishes
614
00:37:33,766 --> 00:37:36,133
became state warfare...
615
00:37:36,133 --> 00:37:38,433
(slide projector clicking)
616
00:37:38,433 --> 00:37:42,533
...recorded by the victors
in art and writing.
617
00:37:42,533 --> 00:37:44,333
(slide projector clicks)
618
00:37:44,333 --> 00:37:46,933
The emerging superpowers began
619
00:37:46,933 --> 00:37:49,900
launching military campaigns
against their neighbors
620
00:37:49,900 --> 00:37:54,500
for land, resources,
and manpower.
621
00:37:56,066 --> 00:38:01,166
♪ ♪
622
00:38:04,900 --> 00:38:08,666
Many of the early civilizations
follow this pattern
623
00:38:08,666 --> 00:38:13,233
of growth, innovation, writing,
624
00:38:13,233 --> 00:38:15,733
and an ever more
stratified society.
625
00:38:17,633 --> 00:38:19,200
By 4,000 years ago,
626
00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:22,133
we'd clearly made
some massive strides
627
00:38:22,133 --> 00:38:23,366
to the modern world,
628
00:38:23,366 --> 00:38:25,300
with the rise
of the civilizations
629
00:38:25,300 --> 00:38:27,433
that were supporting
so many more people,
630
00:38:27,433 --> 00:38:31,500
and about 70 million of us
walking this planet.
631
00:38:32,833 --> 00:38:35,333
But.
632
00:38:35,333 --> 00:38:38,300
The disparity
in the human condition
633
00:38:38,300 --> 00:38:41,633
had never been so wide.
634
00:38:41,633 --> 00:38:45,066
Some people were living gods,
and they would go on
635
00:38:45,066 --> 00:38:48,700
to build monuments like these
to themselves
636
00:38:48,700 --> 00:38:50,400
for centuries.
637
00:38:51,933 --> 00:38:54,433
But many more were slaves,
who were forced to live
638
00:38:54,433 --> 00:38:56,833
in the shadows of the splendor
639
00:38:56,833 --> 00:38:58,566
that they'd helped to create.
640
00:39:00,900 --> 00:39:03,333
And humankind's
powerful new tool,
641
00:39:03,333 --> 00:39:04,700
writing,
642
00:39:04,700 --> 00:39:09,100
still remained in the hands
of just a tiny number.
643
00:39:10,566 --> 00:39:12,100
If we were going
to get to the future,
644
00:39:12,100 --> 00:39:13,500
the here and now,
as you and I know it,
645
00:39:13,500 --> 00:39:18,133
it was going to require a spark
from somewhere else.
646
00:39:22,700 --> 00:39:27,733
♪ ♪
647
00:39:37,466 --> 00:39:39,333
Almost 4,000 years ago,
648
00:39:39,333 --> 00:39:42,666
a small group made a journey
649
00:39:42,666 --> 00:39:48,400
to one of the most
inhospitable places on Earth...
650
00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:50,366
♪ ♪
651
00:39:50,366 --> 00:39:53,433
...through the baking, barren
waste
652
00:39:53,433 --> 00:39:56,966
of the Sinai Desert.
653
00:39:56,966 --> 00:40:00,933
But here,
in this desolate landscape,
654
00:40:00,933 --> 00:40:04,033
they would change the world.
655
00:40:04,033 --> 00:40:07,466
♪ ♪
656
00:40:07,466 --> 00:40:09,833
This place is stunning,
657
00:40:09,833 --> 00:40:14,033
and yet a complete and utter
death trap.
658
00:40:15,700 --> 00:40:17,600
It was of very little interest
659
00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:19,433
to the Egyptian elites.
660
00:40:19,433 --> 00:40:22,400
That is, until someone
found something
661
00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:24,700
in these mountains.
662
00:40:26,333 --> 00:40:28,400
Lots and lots of copper.
663
00:40:29,700 --> 00:40:31,866
And this stuff, turquoise.
664
00:40:31,866 --> 00:40:33,200
(slide projector clicking)
665
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,200
Raw materials
that could be transformed
666
00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:40,000
into jewels and ornaments
of great value.
667
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:41,033
(slide projector clicks)
668
00:40:42,733 --> 00:40:43,766
(slide projector clicks)
669
00:40:46,833 --> 00:40:50,766
If you could extract them
from this harsh landscape.
670
00:40:55,966 --> 00:40:57,733
Far to the north
671
00:40:57,733 --> 00:41:00,166
was the tiny land of Retjenu.
672
00:41:00,166 --> 00:41:03,133
When Egypt demanded laborers
673
00:41:03,133 --> 00:41:06,300
for this treacherous
mining mission,
674
00:41:06,300 --> 00:41:11,033
it was the unfortunate people
of this small state
675
00:41:11,033 --> 00:41:13,966
who had no choice
but to answer the call.
676
00:41:17,900 --> 00:41:24,200
♪ ♪
677
00:41:26,833 --> 00:41:30,066
I can't imagine
what it would have been like
678
00:41:30,066 --> 00:41:33,966
to be dragged here to work
in the turquoise mines.
679
00:41:33,966 --> 00:41:38,200
In the blazing heat,
in the middle of nowhere.
680
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:43,233
It must have been like
681
00:41:43,233 --> 00:41:45,466
being dropped onto the surface
of a different planet.
682
00:41:45,466 --> 00:41:49,633
♪ ♪
683
00:41:53,066 --> 00:41:56,900
And even the Egyptians
probably wondered
684
00:41:56,900 --> 00:41:58,900
if they would make it back home.
685
00:41:58,900 --> 00:42:03,000
♪ ♪
686
00:42:07,033 --> 00:42:10,533
The Egyptians turned
to their gods for protection.
687
00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:13,533
And here, high up
688
00:42:13,533 --> 00:42:16,433
on a desolate plateau,
far from home,
689
00:42:16,433 --> 00:42:19,633
they built a temple
to ask for it.
690
00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:31,233
Remnants have survived
remarkably unscathed
691
00:42:31,233 --> 00:42:33,600
for almost 4,000 years.
692
00:42:36,900 --> 00:42:40,833
Frozen in time
by the bone-dry desert.
693
00:42:51,366 --> 00:42:54,466
This temple is dedicated
to the goddess Hathor,
694
00:42:54,466 --> 00:42:57,333
who is the goddess
of turquoise and miners.
695
00:42:57,333 --> 00:42:59,700
And they were documenting
and celebrating their presence
696
00:42:59,700 --> 00:43:00,933
and worshipping their gods.
697
00:43:02,133 --> 00:43:04,200
And each one of these pillars
698
00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:07,933
represents one of the missions.
699
00:43:07,933 --> 00:43:10,533
And they are hierarchical,
so, you've got
700
00:43:10,533 --> 00:43:11,900
the pharaoh at the top,
701
00:43:11,900 --> 00:43:14,833
and it goes through the ranks.
702
00:43:14,833 --> 00:43:16,333
You've got stonemasons,
703
00:43:16,333 --> 00:43:18,000
et cetera, et cetera,
et cetera, until,
704
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:22,233
this is the brother
of the prince of Retjenu.
705
00:43:22,233 --> 00:43:24,933
Retjenu is where
the miners came from.
706
00:43:24,933 --> 00:43:27,333
And yet the miners are so lowly
707
00:43:27,333 --> 00:43:30,366
that they're not even named
on the pillars.
708
00:43:30,366 --> 00:43:32,600
But they would have come
through here.
709
00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:34,400
They would've seen
this grandeur,
710
00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:36,000
this splendor.
711
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:40,700
One theory is, the miners
saw these hieroglyphs
712
00:43:40,700 --> 00:43:44,100
and also wanted to immortalize
their presence here.
713
00:43:48,466 --> 00:43:49,833
But there was a problem.
714
00:43:49,833 --> 00:43:51,400
They weren't part of the elites,
715
00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:52,900
and so they couldn't write.
716
00:43:52,900 --> 00:43:56,700
♪ ♪
717
00:43:56,700 --> 00:44:01,233
It's thought the miners did
what we humans have always done.
718
00:44:03,833 --> 00:44:06,366
They copied what they'd seen
719
00:44:06,366 --> 00:44:09,133
and made it their own.
720
00:44:11,066 --> 00:44:15,666
♪ ♪
721
00:44:21,466 --> 00:44:23,700
This is one
of the turquoise mines.
722
00:44:23,700 --> 00:44:26,166
And if you look all
over the walls,
723
00:44:26,166 --> 00:44:27,533
there are these scratches
724
00:44:27,533 --> 00:44:32,233
from where the workers' pickaxes
have been.
725
00:44:32,233 --> 00:44:34,433
But here,
something else is going on.
726
00:44:35,866 --> 00:44:37,200
There are about
30 or 40 of them
727
00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:39,600
all over this place.
728
00:44:40,733 --> 00:44:42,433
Some of these have been copied
729
00:44:42,433 --> 00:44:44,500
from hieroglyphics,
but some are completely new.
730
00:44:44,500 --> 00:44:45,866
And here's how the system works.
731
00:44:45,866 --> 00:44:48,433
You take the symbol
732
00:44:48,433 --> 00:44:50,866
and you say the name,
733
00:44:50,866 --> 00:44:52,833
but you only take
the first sound,
734
00:44:52,833 --> 00:44:54,700
and you discard the rest.
735
00:44:54,700 --> 00:44:57,133
So, for example, this here,
736
00:44:57,133 --> 00:44:58,900
this is an ox.
737
00:44:58,900 --> 00:45:01,000
You can see the horns
and the head here.
738
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:04,066
To the miners,
this would be aleph.
739
00:45:04,066 --> 00:45:05,633
Now, aleph,
740
00:45:05,633 --> 00:45:07,266
just take the first sound, "ah,"
741
00:45:07,266 --> 00:45:08,700
discard the rest.
742
00:45:08,700 --> 00:45:11,433
This is another symbol,
this is the symbol for house.
743
00:45:11,433 --> 00:45:13,500
To them, it would be bet.
744
00:45:13,500 --> 00:45:17,233
So, you just take the "beh"
sound at the beginning.
745
00:45:17,233 --> 00:45:19,600
And if you put
these two together,
746
00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:22,066
you start understanding what
you're actually looking at here.
747
00:45:22,066 --> 00:45:25,233
This is the
birthplace
748
00:45:25,233 --> 00:45:26,966
of the alphabet.
749
00:45:30,966 --> 00:45:32,400
This new script
750
00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:34,133
was simpler to learn
than hieroglyphics
751
00:45:34,133 --> 00:45:37,800
because the alphabet did not
represent complete words,
752
00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:40,233
but spoken sounds.
753
00:45:43,066 --> 00:45:45,700
It was able to convey
any thought
754
00:45:45,700 --> 00:45:48,600
with only 20 to 30 symbols.
755
00:45:51,466 --> 00:45:54,066
These miners
are the ones
756
00:45:54,066 --> 00:45:55,366
who gave birth to this,
757
00:45:55,366 --> 00:45:57,133
and their legacy
is still with us today
758
00:45:57,133 --> 00:45:58,333
and is so important.
759
00:45:58,333 --> 00:46:03,200
♪ ♪
760
00:46:04,833 --> 00:46:07,433
In the centuries and millennia
that followed...
761
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:12,233
...nearly all the early
written languages
762
00:46:12,233 --> 00:46:16,500
fell into obscurity
as those civilizations waned.
763
00:46:19,033 --> 00:46:22,333
But this alphabet
would only grow,
764
00:46:22,333 --> 00:46:24,666
spreading across the planet,
765
00:46:24,666 --> 00:46:28,933
reshaping and branching
into many different forms.
766
00:46:28,933 --> 00:46:29,966
(slide projector clicking)
767
00:46:32,266 --> 00:46:33,833
It now forms the basis
768
00:46:33,833 --> 00:46:36,966
of most known
written languages...
769
00:46:38,300 --> 00:46:43,166
♪ ♪
770
00:46:43,166 --> 00:46:45,133
...allowing millions,
771
00:46:45,133 --> 00:46:48,400
and then billions,
of ordinary humans
772
00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:51,366
to access knowledge,
to communicate,
773
00:46:51,366 --> 00:46:53,300
and to document their thoughts,
774
00:46:53,300 --> 00:46:55,066
and their existence,
775
00:46:55,066 --> 00:46:59,233
in every corner of the globe.
776
00:47:01,533 --> 00:47:03,200
For me, this is one
777
00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:04,766
of the most powerful moments
778
00:47:04,766 --> 00:47:06,400
in the human story,
779
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:09,333
because unbeknownst to the
underdog,
780
00:47:09,333 --> 00:47:11,966
they had changed the world.
781
00:47:11,966 --> 00:47:16,266
One of civilization's most
profound and revolutionary ideas
782
00:47:16,266 --> 00:47:19,133
didn't come
from an educated elite.
783
00:47:19,133 --> 00:47:24,500
It came from inside these
dark and miserable mines,
784
00:47:24,500 --> 00:47:26,166
through the copying
and innovating
785
00:47:26,166 --> 00:47:28,566
of lowly migrant workers.
786
00:47:28,566 --> 00:47:34,133
♪ ♪
787
00:47:39,466 --> 00:47:42,800
(traffic humming in distance,
horns honking)
788
00:47:48,300 --> 00:47:51,533
♪ ♪
789
00:47:51,533 --> 00:47:54,966
The invention of writing
marks an ending and a beginning.
790
00:47:54,966 --> 00:47:57,066
♪ ♪
791
00:47:57,066 --> 00:48:01,300
Because prehistory--
so, the period before writing--
792
00:48:01,300 --> 00:48:03,066
we could only really
piece together
793
00:48:03,066 --> 00:48:05,933
using fragments and artifacts.
794
00:48:05,933 --> 00:48:09,333
And now recorded time, history,
had begun.
795
00:48:11,033 --> 00:48:15,100
And what we see is
that as writing spreads,
796
00:48:15,100 --> 00:48:19,233
the pace of human innovation
accelerates.
797
00:48:19,233 --> 00:48:22,433
♪ ♪
798
00:48:22,433 --> 00:48:24,933
Because that is the power
799
00:48:24,933 --> 00:48:28,200
of being able to document
and lay down knowledge.
800
00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:30,866
(bird squawking)
801
00:48:33,633 --> 00:48:37,666
♪ ♪
802
00:48:37,666 --> 00:48:43,466
Generation after generation
building on the last,
803
00:48:43,466 --> 00:48:45,800
retaining and accumulating
knowledge.
804
00:48:48,066 --> 00:48:49,800
Stone became bronze.
805
00:48:49,800 --> 00:48:52,100
Iron became silicon.
806
00:48:53,366 --> 00:48:55,733
Handwritten became printed.
807
00:48:57,266 --> 00:48:59,333
Printed became typed.
808
00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:05,266
And gradually,
we built the future.
809
00:49:06,500 --> 00:49:09,633
This is the very final bone
810
00:49:09,633 --> 00:49:11,333
of our series.
811
00:49:11,333 --> 00:49:15,200
This is actually
one of the three ear bones.
812
00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:17,833
And just like every human bone
813
00:49:17,833 --> 00:49:18,933
we've encountered,
814
00:49:18,933 --> 00:49:21,766
whether Homo sapiens
or otherwise,
815
00:49:21,766 --> 00:49:25,366
it represents a person.
816
00:49:25,366 --> 00:49:27,500
This individual had a family,
817
00:49:27,500 --> 00:49:31,366
parents, perhaps children,
friends.
818
00:49:31,366 --> 00:49:34,233
But what's
particularly remarkable
819
00:49:34,233 --> 00:49:38,700
is how much we now know about
these ancient ancestors of ours,
820
00:49:38,700 --> 00:49:42,100
thanks to modern temples
of knowledge,
821
00:49:42,100 --> 00:49:43,333
like this one.
822
00:49:43,333 --> 00:49:47,133
The scientists here are able
to extract DNA
823
00:49:47,133 --> 00:49:48,900
from an individual
who, in this case,
824
00:49:48,900 --> 00:49:51,166
lived about 1,600 years ago,
825
00:49:51,166 --> 00:49:52,333
from a piece of bone
826
00:49:52,333 --> 00:49:55,766
that is so tiny, delicate,
and precious.
827
00:49:55,766 --> 00:49:58,733
And they're able
to ask questions,
828
00:49:58,733 --> 00:50:02,166
like whether industrialization
and agriculture
829
00:50:02,166 --> 00:50:04,900
actually affected our DNA,
830
00:50:04,900 --> 00:50:07,766
whether we're still evolving.
831
00:50:09,100 --> 00:50:10,833
And to think
832
00:50:10,833 --> 00:50:12,300
that our knowledge
833
00:50:12,300 --> 00:50:13,733
has got to the point
834
00:50:13,733 --> 00:50:16,800
where we're even able
to entertain
835
00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:19,533
such huge questions
836
00:50:19,533 --> 00:50:22,200
from something so tiny.
837
00:50:23,866 --> 00:50:27,033
For me, there's a poetry
in that.
838
00:50:27,033 --> 00:50:30,333
♪ ♪
839
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:36,433
We can look back
840
00:50:36,433 --> 00:50:38,833
on when nature and luck
were on our side
841
00:50:38,833 --> 00:50:42,400
and when they weren't.
842
00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,933
Where we made
the right decisions
843
00:50:45,933 --> 00:50:49,233
and where we went wrong.
844
00:50:50,566 --> 00:50:54,666
But what underpins our story
and makes it unique
845
00:50:54,666 --> 00:50:58,800
is far more than just
our will to survive.
846
00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:02,166
It's our cultural drive
to come together,
847
00:51:02,166 --> 00:51:05,533
to learn from
and inspire each other,
848
00:51:05,533 --> 00:51:10,033
to go further
than what has gone before.
849
00:51:12,533 --> 00:51:15,500
We are the very last species
of human
850
00:51:15,500 --> 00:51:17,366
to walk this Earth.
851
00:51:17,366 --> 00:51:19,266
And the most fascinating thing
852
00:51:19,266 --> 00:51:22,900
about our 300,000-year-long
story
853
00:51:22,900 --> 00:51:26,633
is that we have no idea
how much is left.
854
00:51:26,633 --> 00:51:30,433
Is this basically
the whole of our story,
855
00:51:30,433 --> 00:51:33,800
or are we on the first act
or even prologue,
856
00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:36,733
with a long future ahead of us?
857
00:51:36,733 --> 00:51:38,866
We have no idea.
858
00:51:38,866 --> 00:51:43,033
But we are one species
with one future.
859
00:51:43,033 --> 00:51:47,300
Now, you could never have
predicted how we got here.
860
00:51:47,300 --> 00:51:49,233
And where we go next
861
00:51:49,233 --> 00:51:51,033
is up to all of us.
862
00:51:51,033 --> 00:51:57,066
♪ ♪
863
00:52:33,133 --> 00:52:36,000
♪ ♪
864
00:52:36,933 --> 00:52:44,466
♪ ♪
865
00:52:48,300 --> 00:52:55,833
♪ ♪
866
00:52:59,666 --> 00:53:07,266
♪ ♪
867
00:53:08,900 --> 00:53:16,433
♪ ♪
868
00:53:18,066 --> 00:53:25,600
♪ ♪
62225
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.