NOVA

For the longest time, we thought we knew the origins of our species. We thought we began 200,000 years ago in East Africa. But new revelations from out here in Morocco, from a part of Africa that people weren’t really considering, are forcing us to rethink our very first steps on this planet.

In a remote cave, in North West Africa, a chance discovery uncovered some mysterious human remains.

This Discovery Rewrote Human History

In a secluded Botswana cave, a natural stone outcropping was carved to resemble a python. Archaeologists think this could be one of the world’s earliest ritual sites.

Early humans may have brought offerings to this enormous stone snake.

This Was One of the First Known Human Ritual Sites

Where did humans come from, and what makes us unique? Discover the remarkable origins of Homo sapiens, and the crucial moments of innovation, communication, and ritual that set us on our path.

Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.

Human: Origins

Human: Origins Preview

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Where do we come from? To find out, journey back to a time when multiple human species walked the earth. Discover how radical fossil finds in Morocco rewrote the history of our origins – suggesting we did not have a single birthplace, but that modern Homo sapiens emerged from a mosaic of prehistoric, early human communities. Explore the tools, language, and rituals that bound us together, and the setbacks that nearly destroyed us. (A 5-part series premiering September 17, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.

Evolution

Follow Homo Sapiens as they venture across the world, farther than any other human species. See how they invented new tools to thrive in challenging environments – and meet the mysterious hobbit-like humans they may have encountered along the way.

Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.

Human: Journeys

Bones and tools found in a Sri Lankan cave show how Homo sapiens adapted to dense rainforest environments as early as 45,000 years ago.

These monkey bones showed that early humans could thrive in the rainforest.

How Did Early Humans Hunt Monkeys?

Human: Journeys Preview

From the time humans arose in Africa, they have been on the move – but one species, Homo sapiens, has journeyed farther than any other. Follow in our ancestors’ footsteps as they travel the globe, and meet the mysterious hobbit-like humans they may have encountered along the way. How did Homo sapiens manage to thrive across the planet? And how did our drive to explore shape us and the world as we know it today? (Premiered September 24, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.

In life, this Neanderthal family from Northern Spain struggled as their species declined. In death, bone evidence shows they became food for another Neanderthal group.

Inside the Tunnel of Bones, a macabre Neanderthal mystery unfolds.

At the Edge of Extinction, These Neanderthals Were Cannibalized

For 400,000 years, Neanderthals thrived across frigid, Ice Age Europe. What happened when Homo sapiens arrived, and how did these encounters change our species –  including our DNA – in ways still with us today?

Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.

Human: Neanderthal Encounters

Human: Neanderthal Encounters Preview

For years, scientists argued about whether Homo sapiens interbred with Neanderthal groups in Europe. The Oase fossils show that the two species did mix.

Ancient bones reveal that early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals didn’t just coexist.

Did Homo sapiens and Neanderthals Interbreed?

Close-up of neanderthal with sun in the background

For hundreds of thousands of years, Neanderthals thrived across Europe. Then, Homo sapiens arrived. Explore the surprising encounters between these two human species, including evidence of interbreeding that has reshaped our understanding of early human history. As a brutal ice age descended, both groups were pushed to their limits. Uncover the latest archaeological and genetic breakthroughs revealing the surprising truth behind the Neanderthals' mysterious disappearance. How did Homo sapiens manage to survive and outlast our remaining human cousins? And how did our time together – written in our DNA – leave a lasting impact on us? (Premiered October 1, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.

Follow ancient humans’ perilous journey into the Americas, where a frigid Ice Age landscape, mammoths, and other fearsome beasts tested their resilience.

Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.

Human: Into the Americas

Archaeologists unearth traces of a 14,000-year-old struggle for survival — when early humans risked everything to hunt bears.

This form of bear hunting took nerves of steel.

Would You Face a Bear With a Spear? Ancient Humans Might Have

Human: Into the Americas Preview

Journey back to when humans first ventured into the Americas, a world teeming with colossal megafauna and dramatic climate shifts. Witness their ingenious survival tactics against formidable predators, and uncover the mystery of ancient footprints in the desert of White Sands. See how these pioneers transformed from nomads to living in rooted communities, forever altering our world. (Premiered October 8, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.

Discover how Homo sapiens transformed from nomads to empire builders. Witness the innovations – from animal domestication to writing – that revolutionized ancient life and shaped our modern world.

Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.

Human: Building Empires

Göbekli Tepe may be the oldest temple ever discovered, carved by hunter-gatherers 6,000 years before Stonehenge.

What archaeologists found here reveals one of the biggest turning points in human history.

Göbekli Tepe: The 11,500-Year-Old Mystery That Rewrote History

From the depths of ancient mines came a revolutionary idea: a simple set of symbols that anyone could learn — the birth of the alphabet, and the democratization of knowledge.

It became the basis for most written languages, beginning 4,000 years ago in the Sinai desert.

This Is Where the First Alphabet Was Born

Human: Building Empires Preview

What caused humans to stop roaming and start building? How did we transform from a tiny, fragile population of Homo sapiens into the 8 billion strong, globally interconnected species we are today? Discover pivotal moments that set humanity on a new path – toward cities and modern civilizations. What role did the domestication of plants and animals play in this transformation? And how did the invention of writing begin to reshape how we shared knowledge and organized society? From ancient temples like Göbekli Tepe in Turkey to the Egyptian Empire that built the Pyramids along the banks of the Nile, witness the birth of cities, the dawn of communication, and the inherent human drive to build, connect, and thrive against all odds. (Premiered October 15, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.

Silhouette of people walking towards camera with setting sun behind them

Around 300,000 years ago, Homo sapiens emerged in Africa – one of at least seven human species alive at the time. Now, we are the only remaining human line, and our impact on the planet is undeniable. In this stunningly cinematic five-part series, paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi traces the surprising story of human origins. Remarkable new fossil evidence, modern DNA sequencing, and other cutting-edge scientific tools are shedding new light on the lives and journeys of long-vanished human species, and how our encounters with them helped make us who we are today. (A five-part series premiering on September 17, 2025)

Follow the epic story of Homo sapiens as they outlast other human species and spread across the globe.

Follow the epic story of Homo sapiens as they outlast other human species and spread across the globe.

Explore Human

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