Home > Documentary TV Show > Before We Ruled the Earth

Before We Ruled the Earth

2003

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 Hunt or be Hunted Feb 09, 2003

1,700,000 years ago in Africa, Homo ergaster, an ancient predecessor of modern humans, had to scavenge to survive. They lived in the elements among the monsters of the day, like the saber-toothed cat. Over time, early humans evolved and developed simple tools, began to communicate, and learned to control their most important tool: fire. But the monsters were still there. 300,000 years ago, Homo erectus learned to hunt the giant Irish elk, using fire to drive these great beasts through a narrow gorge and over a cliff. While hunting skills improved, proximity remained a necessity to kill a huge beast. 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals were at the top of their form, hunting beasts like the Giant Steppe Bison. The Neanderthals were usurped by an entirely new race of humans, the Cro-Magnons. They adapted and survived when the Neanderthals could not. They would become the undisputed masters of our planet. They would become the humans we are today.

EP2 Mastering the Beasts Feb 16, 2003

15,000 years ago, the Cro-Magnons had evolved to become the sole residents of Europe. They had all the abilities of modern humans: the power of speech, reasoning skills, and a belief in the afterlife. But it was still a struggle to survive in a land where large dangerous carnivores competed for living space. As the humans spread out across the world, they made their way over an ancient land bridge connecting Asia and the Americas: Beringia. Life inthe tundra was treacherous, and three stranded women had to use their ingenuity, skill, and sheer guts to survive emong the Woolly Mammoths on which they depended for survival. Moving to North America, the so-called Paleo-Indians developed even more sophisticated weapons and their ability to communicate. They flourished among the waning megafauna like the Giant Ground Sloth. Hunting reached its climax on the Great Plains of North America when two small bands of Paleo-Indians came together for a ritual buffalo hunt, driving hundreds of buffalo off a cliff in a massive slaughter. Early human's ability to adapt is what pushed them to the four corners of the earth and beyond, Before We Ruled The Earth.
6.9| 0h30m| NR| en
Synopsis

Before We Ruled the Earth is a two-part documentary television miniseries that premiered on February 9, 2003 on the Discovery Channel. The program featured early human history and the challenges human beings faced thousands of years ago. It also features animals examples such as: ⁕Woolly mammoth ⁕Megantereon ⁕American buffalo ⁕Cave bear ⁕Irish elk The first episode was called "Hunt or Be Hunted" and the second called "Mastering the Beasts."

Director

Producted By

Discovery Communications

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

Nonureva Really Surprised!
Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.
Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
joeysazo I just saw "Before We Ruled the Earth" on the Science channel (one of several Discovery channel spin-offs). I'm a bit surprised that there's only one brief review and 7 ratings for a Discovery channel documentary that's 4 years old. But I'm not that surprised since it's not as good as the more popular series "Walking with Cavemen". Before I address why, I'll briefly describe the documentary itself since there's very little info here on IMDb.This is a 2-part documentary totaling 2 hours. The first part, "Mastering the Beasts", depicts a few homo ergaster/erectus scenarios from ~1.7 million to ~500,000 years ago. Then it continues with neanderthals during the ice age ~50,000 years ago. The second part, "Hunt or Be Hunted", depicts several homo sapien scenarios during the ice age and prehistoric north America. (Imporant note: I got the episode titles from amazon. Each episode is its own DVD with zero bonus features. What a gyp since both could easily fit on one disc.) What I liked: The scenarios were based on specific archaeological finds that are briefly described at the end of each scenario. Some of this was new information for me (I've studied anthropology a good bit in the past year). The costumes and make-up were very well done, and the actors did a fine job. What I didn't like: The biggest weakness was the sometimes dull, boring storytelling. Some of the scenarios were mildly interesting, but I zoned out during others. The narration was often very dry. It wasn't nearly as engrossing as "Walking with Cavemen". (I think this is the main reason for the sparse feedback here and at amazon). Another weakness is that the extinct animals were animated with lousy CGI for a 2003 production. Bottom-line: I've watched "Walking with Cavemen" twice in the past year and I'll probably watch it again sometime in the near future. On the other hand, "Before we Ruled the earth" was worth watching once since I'm very interested in the subject matter, but I have no desire to watch it again.
contrary14 The show covers a long period of early man. It presents the daily existence of early humans via stories instead of `just the facts.' Good information, stuff your not going to find in a typical school book. My 8 yr old was interested from start to finish. Recommended viewing.