Lost Worlds

Sunday March 15 at 7.30pm on SBS

We all know the word “Neanderthal” as an unflattering qualifier for some of our more uncultured and dim-witted fellow humans. But was the real Neanderthal man truly such an intellectual dunce? The Real Neanderthal Man looks at modern scientific findings that reveal quite the opposite.

In 1856, fossil remains of a type of early man were found in a pleasant little valley near Düsseldorf, the Neander Thal. The bones were studied, and various theories proposed, but the site was not further explored until one of today’s leading paleoanthropologists, Ralf W. Schmitz, insisted that there was more to be found.

It appeared that Schmitz was correct and in several recent explorations, the discovery of fragments of bone, stone tools, blades and other items gave scientists a better picture of the life of the early man. The expedition also provided evidence of other Neanderthalers, including a woman who’s DNA proved she came from present-day Croatia.

The Real Neanderthal Man looks at the new findings and the original fossils, and uses state of the art technology analysis methods to gain a better understanding of the early man.

Cellular nucleus DNA is extracted to find out whether we are actually related to the Neanderthal Man. By using stereo lithographic models and rapid prototyping, the skull is reconstructed for the first time in history, it is physically duplicated with all its features, and an artist’s rendering brings us face to face with him.

Evidence from bone chemistry is used to identify the composition of Neanderthal diets, and one fingerprint found on pieces of birch pitch from another excavation site are compared by criminologists to the fingerprints of modern humans and primates. Finally, a group of Italian scientists dives to the bottom of an ice-age lake to collect samples of sediment that show us what the world of the Neanderthal Man looked like over 40,000 years ago.

The Real Neanderthal Man recreates a prehistoric world using striking dramatisations and takes us back to the ice ages. The documentary looks at how the early man hunted with companions, engineered tools and became skilled craftsmen.

Sunday March 8 at 7.30pm on SBS

On Sunday March 8 at 7.30pm, SBS will screen the second instalment of the two part journey into the evolution of man.

The two part series documents the development of human civilisation from its earliest origins.

By using dramatic re-enactments, the first episode examines the emergence of Homo sapiens and highlights the similarities between modern day practices and the everyday lives of our prehistoric ancestors.

The history of humankind took a decisive turn 12,000 years ago, as Homo sapiens invented a new kind of life. Turning away from nomadic lifestyles, people settled into the first villages and invented the cornerstones of civilisation – farming, irrigation, commerce, religion, medicine, and much more.

With these new inventions came the first wars, the spread of deadly diseases and starvation due to over-population. But Homo sapiens overcame these challenges building cities and using their writing to communicate over great distances.

The Rise of Man shows how in 8,000 years Homo sapiens were able to boost the population of the world from three million to 100 million inhabitants, and build the society as we know it today