Great Human Race

All people can trace their roots to the savanna of East Africa, home of one of the first members of the human species. Archaeologist Bill Schindler and survival instructor Cat Bigney face what early man did as they work together to survive in the savanna just as our primitive ancestors did — without weapons or fire. They soon find that living like our ancestors is harder than they expected.

Archaeologist Bill Schindler and survival instructor Cat Bigney journey into the jungles of Uganda to follow in the footsteps of one of our earliest ancestors — Homo erectus. This is the species that changed our evolution forever, by their ability to control fire. An unfortunate mistake leaves Schindler and Bigney stranded in the jungle with the sun going down and no protection against predators.

Archaeologist Bill Schindler and survival instructor Cat Bigney journey to where Homo sapiens first walked the Earth, the mountains of Ethiopia. This is where humans became the dominant species, by going from hunted to hunter. After little success hunting in the lowland prairie, they move into the higher elevations, where the thin air and thick fog present unforeseen challenges.

Cat and Bill follow in the footsteps of early Homo sapiens as they make their way through the Arabian Desert. Their mission is to locate dried riverbeds and follow them to the seasonal monsoon area along the coast. But to do so, they must endure blistering heat and desolate sands. Food is nearly impossible to find and their water supplies quickly run low.

Bill and Cat build a reed boat to cross the Mediterranean Sea as our ancestors did 45,000 years ago.

Bill and Cat attempt to find shelter along the Caucasus Mountains, a journey some of our ancestors made to escape the bone-chilling temperatures of the Ice Age 40,000 years ago.

Bill and Cat attempt to survive as mobile hunters living in Siberia during the peak of the Ice Age.

Bill and Cat are nomadic pastoralists in Mongolia, with animals that need to be moved to the mountains before temperatures reach freezing.

Bill and Cat follow in the footsteps of the first Americans to cross the Bering Land Bridge 15,000 years ago. Their trek begins in the Alaskan tundra, where a winter storm beats down on them. In this barren wasteland, resources are few and far between, and the grueling slog south takes its toll on Bill and Cat, who can’t find anything to eat.

Bill and Cat must survive a land of ice and snow. With nighttime looming, they will have to find a way to withstand below-freezing temperatures.