The crucifixion of Jesus
Christopher Columbus discovering America
WAY BACK: History examines humans from African beginnings (above) to the crucifixion of Jesus (center) to Christopher Columbus discovering America (bottom). (
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If you’re a history buff as in “historian,” “Mankind: The Story of Us” is probably not for you.
If, however, you don’t live in the ivory tower of academia, this history of mankind is most definitely for you.
While I consider myself pretty well-educated and a dogged researcher as most reporters are, there are so many things in here that I didn’t know that it made me feel, frankly like an Hylobatidae.
Beginning tonight with part one of the 12-parter, called “The Inventors,” we are introduced to the first -ever humans.
These humans were more like Brazilian models than modern Americans are. In fact, they were taller, thinner and by the looks of them here, better with makeup and hair than we ever can be.
These humans eventually came to do what contestants on “Survivor” never seem to be able to do: make fire.
Each new “invention” leads man to the next stage of evolution in terms of growth.
We learn that 60,000 years ago humans first ventured out of Africa, invented fire, and from fire came the first domestic wolves. When man learned to domesticate the rare wolves that had tamer genes than the rest, they were able to become the most efficient hunters on Earth.
Men (and dogs) hunted in packs, while women gathered grain.
Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce you to Farming Mother, the first woman to realize that one could plant grain rather than merely gather it.
Now may I introduce you to Jenny Craig. Seems that every calorie spent picking grain yielded 60 calories in return.
(Don’t even think about what one calorie spent buying potato chips yields in return!)
Farming led to villages, villages to domestication of animals for slaughter.
But raising animals also led to war, syphilis, bubonic plague,and, yes, shorter, heavier humans.
This excellent series has too many of the usual experts and way too many ridiculous sound effects. (Why, oh why, is there electronica, for starters, playing during the developments of early man? Was he a cave man as well as a freaking club-goer?
The inventions — from fire to farming to metal smelting, to building to weaponry to organized religion to art and writing of all forms — explain how we became who we are today.
On the second part of tonight’s premiere, we are introduced to the Iron Men.
In one of the great mysteries of civilization, we learn that all over the Mediterranean, ships full of warriors called Sea People (no one knows who they were) conquered the great capitals, but also caused the Spartans to discover and then smelt iron bringing on the Iron Age.
Other episodes from “Warriors” to “Plague” to “New Frontiers” look equally interesting. I’m in.