Until recently much of our ancestors’ early history remained a mystery. Niobe also learns how the existence of sweet potatoes in the Polynesian islands and Polynesian skulls found in Chile seem to prove that Polynesians did indeed reach the Americas.Īnd recent genetic studies of Pacific islanders have revealed that their origins are actually in Asia, upending a long-held belief by many, including Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, that humans in South America settled the Pacific by drifting to places like Hawaii on small wooden rafts.
Today the Hokule’a is still plying the ocean, led by sailors skilled in the techniques of traditional navigation. Ancient Polynesians sailed the Pacific, using only the stars and the currents to guide them, and very likely made it to the Americas long before the Europeans.
In the Bering Strait, Niobe gets a firsthand look at the light but sturdy umiak, a skin boat many experts believe may have been used by the first people to enter North America by skirting the icy Bering land bridge.Īnd in the Pacific, Niobe meets the crew of the Hokule’a - a sturdy replica of an ancient Polynesian sailing vessel. Niobe Thompson as he travels the globe, searching for echoes of the past in the skills of people living in remote and demanding environments - conditions that may be similar to the ones our ancestors had to surmount on their global journey.įor decades, anthropologists have been observing such societies trying to understand their social, cultural and spiritual beliefs, and how they live their day-to-day lives - from the food they eat to the natural medicines they use.Ĭourtesy of Aaron Munson A Chukchi reindeer herder prepares to lasso teams of reindeer to move his camp Kanchalan tundra, Chukotka, Northeast Russia. Throughout the film, NOVA follows anthropologist Dr. “Filmed on a grand scale, as never before, the documentary sheds light on the incredible journey undertaken by our ancestors and the strategies they employed to adapt, survive and prosper on an ever-changing planet.” Apsell, Senior Executive Producer for NOVA. “‘Great Human Odyssey’ takes NOVA viewers on a spectacular adventure across several continents to trace our human origins and learn about our ancient past,” said Paula S. Courtesy of Chuck Taylor A Maasai boy brings his family's goat herd into the thorn enclosure of his village for the night Olorgesaillie, Southern Kenya.
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