Mankind: The Story of all of Us (Part 1: Intro & Inventors)

Beginning in 2012 (nearly 10 years ago), the History Channel has released this 12-episode docu-series about some of the most famous events of the 2 million years of the existence of our species.

This is part 1 of this 12 part wiki page series about this docu-series. In this part, we will talk about the first episode (titled "Inventors") where humans taught themselves how to make fire, clothes to keep us warm, tools and weapons, and even structures that humans weren't supposed to build in the first place. Even invent new ways to produce and consume food as well.

## Intro

Before we go ahead with talking about the first episode of this docu-series. There are a few people "in question" so to say that must be noted before we begin. Now, in a lot of American documentaries on TV, there has to be segments where experts must give out their piece of information regarding to a certain subject. Mankind: The Story of All of Us (which is an indirect sequel to "America: The Story of Us") it just doesn't have certified experts to do this sort of thing, there is also some known people, and quite frankly have no idea what they're talking about. Here are some of those people "in question"

### The People In Question

**Josh Brolin:** The son of actor James Brolin and singer Barbara Streisand, Brolin followed in his father's footsteps and became an actor in his own right, he is well known for his role of Brandon "Brand" Walsh from the 1980s movie "The Goonies", though he is more known today for playing the role of "Cable" from the Deadpool series of movies. Why does he have a claim on this docu-series? Well, on account that he narrates it, or so the docu-series claims.

**Richard Machowicz ("Mack"):** You may recognize him if you watched TV Shows on the "Military Channel" (a branched network from the Discovery Channel) as he hosted another docu-series called "Future Weapons" though, his background is a bit "wishy-washy" to say the least as he claims to serve in the US Military as a Navy SEAL and also claims to be a military expert (hence why he was the host for Future Weapons). In Mankind, he's in almost every episode. Sadly, he died in 2017.

**Mehmet Oz:** Many people may know in better as "Dr. Oz" who used to be a surgeon for one of the Presbyterian Hospitals in New York City, he got his TV break by being a regular on the Oprah Winfrey Show before getting his own talk show where he talks about medicine and other scientific stuff. So, compared to the (soon be) 4 in question people, he's the most certifiable.

**Brian Williams:** If you don't watch "NBC News" than you don't know who this guy is, a former news reporter for NBC. News reporters aren't exactly the "brightest starts in the night sky" so to say, so I can tell Mr. Williams read from a script when he did this docu-series despite a lot of it being fact.

You ready? Good, let's begin.

## Inventors

The docu-series kicks off by briefly talking about the beginning of our universe (roughly 15 Billion Years Ago) to the beginning of our Earth (roughly 4.6 Billion Years Ago), it then shows single-celled organisms which became more complex overtime.

The episode than gets straight to the point, and to the breathtaking Savanna landscapes of Eastern Africa.

Here, is where are first ancestors began to make their mark (roughly 2 million years ago), the "Homo Sapiens" descended from the monkey family, we have developed a complex system of body parts; hands, feet, legs, arms, muscles, bones, and even a brain that can function like no other animal on Earth. The episode shows our first ancestors being the "hunter/gatherer" where they make up simple yet crude tools and weapons to make simple things, and hunt for food. Our first ancestors had a balance of natural capabilities, unlike Cheetahs which can run very fast, or Lions which are very strong, or Hyenas which can bite with enough force to crush bones, so they try to rely on the weapons they make in order to ensure food gets into their bellies.

But we invent more than just tools and weapons to get through what was considered "everyday life" back then. We also invent something that will ensure our survival; Fire. Fire was everything for our first ancestors as it can be used as a tool to see at night, and use it as a means to scare away dangerous predators, and possibly the most important feature is to cook food, especially beef, and as we found out to properly cook meat and chew and digest it.

This is where the episode (with Dr, Oz talking about the whole eating meat thing) is where we humans began to physically evolve, by eating cooked meat our stomachs shrunk, and in turn our brains grew which is also important to the progress of our species. The episode also said that the human race wasn't as rampant on Earth like it is today (where there's 7.5 Billion people), 2 million years ago there was around 15,000. But in the next million years, we grew and even started to leave the confines of the East African Savannas and venture to other regions of Earth such as the deserts of the Middle East, the mountains of Central Asia, and the Temperate Forests of Europe, and eventually during the ice age, over to the Americas via the Siberian land bridge (modern day Russia and Alaska respectively).

### The Ice Age

The episode than goes to the regions in modern day France during the Ice Age.

Around 15,000 years ago, and with the position of the Continents, the entire world enters the Ice Age where cold temperatures and cold conditions reigned supreme. But it wasn't just the harsh cold that our Ice Age ancestors had to endure, but also wolves that like the Hyenas in Africa have a strong bite and can shatter bone. Our Ice Age ancestors were force to eke out a living in naturally formed caves which can protect them from the bitter cold outside as well as those savage wolves, they also discover that fire also has a very special purpose in this age, fire radiates heat, and can keep humans warm (especially at night when the sun goes down), but we humans continue to "invent" this time it's tailored clothes, and unlike how we wear clothes today (for fashion) our Ice Age ancestors needed special clothes to stay warm.

As for the wolves, we soon discovered that there's a specie of wolf that is tamer than the others, and can be trained to help out humans too, to protect the cave, our to hunt other animals, this is the birth of the "Dog".

The episode also talks about the caves in Europe that we discovered with hand imprints too, just like the Altamira cave in Northwestern Spain, especially the ones with hand prints which supposed to give some form of identity.

### A good warm up

The Episode then turns its attention to Britain to talk about early farming humans.

As the Glaciers retreated and the weather warms, the Stone Age begins. What also begins is the early known form of farming, and it began with a woman who historians call "Our Farming Mother" after seeing a seed taking root in discarded seeds, she decides to use them, and she would revolutionize food production. Farming has proved that it can feed more people than hunting and gathering. Soon, we would be able to grow wheat, and other crops, and even keep livestock.

This would give rise to villages, and a village needs a leader. With this, civilization would also begin. But farming would also develop problems such as disease (and this is where Dr. Oz also gives out his opinion on that), and also war.

Crops failed to grow in a nearby village, and now the dwellers want another villages crops in order to survive, the birth of warfare.

The docu-series says that there is archeological evidence that shows violence in early farming people, and are expected to die sooner then the hunter/gatherers. With the birth of farming and warfare, also comes the birth of mourning the dead, and organized religion.

Around 3,000 BC, the British farmers commemorates the dead by building a monument for them; Stonehenge.

Why did the memorial just rose up from the ground like that, I don't know. But what I do know is that it was built by humans.

Anyway, moving on.

### Egypt Rises

The episode now goes to Egypt, where another memorial for the fallen is being constructed.

In this case, it's the Great Pyramid of Khufu (now the Great Pyramid of Giza), the biggest Pyramid ever constructed.

Contrary to popular thought, the Pyramids weren't constructed by slaves, but by skilled craftsmen who were given food and drink for their work, they used copper tools to chisel the limestone and polished the blocks and had several men move the blocks to where they are needed. Records were kept to see how much progress is made, and to see if the project is going to plan. It would take 20 years to build, it would remain the largest man-made structure until modern buildings arrived 4,000 years later, and on the top was gold. A sacred burial site for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. But soon, Egypt will become the world's biggest superpower, and one man is willing to do it.

This is the Egyptian Pharaoh "Thutmose the 3rd", and this episode talks about the "Battle of Megiddo", Megiddo was one of the world's first major cities and it controlled all of the major trade routes. In the year 1457 BC, Thutmose invades Megiddo, and he uses the power of the Chariot to help him win this battle, and outnumbering his enemies in this battle, Thutmose would use a battle tactic that would be the first of it's kind in warfare, to use speed as well as firepower (like what we saw in the Blitzkrieg during World War 2), and he was able to take Megiddo and expand his empire, making him one of the first major emperors, ruling over the lives of millions.

That'll do it for this part, in our next part (click here) we will talk about the Iron Age, as well as Ancient Greece and China, and even new ways to travel, explore and discover, and the real beginnings of organized religion. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.