| This article is a stub. |
| This article needs expanding. You can help improve this article by adding additional content. |
| Savage Family | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||
| Previous episode Blood Brothers |
Following episode The Survivors | |||||||||||
Full synopsis[]
The episode begins in Africa 1.5 million years ago, following the story of a group of Homo ergaster hunters, tracking a Wildebeest. We learn that ergaster have the ability to notice changes in the world around them like the arrival of a new bird that marks the change of a season, they have also developed a simple language. With their loss of body hair they have begun to sweat rather than pant like most animals. Their ability to sweat allows them to cool down quicker and they walk the wildebeest into the ground.
After an unsuccessful attempt to bring down the Wildebeest the hunters make another attempt and kill the creature. They use another invention that their big brains have allowed, the hand axe. They use these to butcher the Wildebeest, and they bring the food home. At their “camp” they share meet with family and friends, using their language to form bonds rather than grooming. While attempting to court a mate a young male is attacked by an interloper. The young male losses a piece of his ear to the interloper, but is saved by the old male ergaster. We then learn that ergaster travels out of Africa and settles Asia and evolve into Homo erectus.
Half a million years ago a group of erectus is hunting in a bamboo forest, they use bamboo instead of stone for their tools. The hunting group encounters a Gigantopithecus “the original King Kong” they flee from the giant ape. As they run one of the hunter’s hits his head and is knocked unconscious, he is later revived by the other hunters who use a bamboo leaf cup to splash water on the injured hunter. We travel back to Africa but this time we are 500 thousand years ago. We learn that ergaster has not made any advancement in their technology, but something will set their minds racing and that thing is fire. We learn that fire opened their minds to let them wander, and night would no longer bring danger but instead time to think.
Summary[]
Creatures[]
1.5 Million Years Ago (Kenya) []
- Homo ergaster
- Wildebeest (live acted)
- Swallows (live acted)
- African Elephant (live acted)
- Giraffe (live acted)
- Baboon (live acted)
500 Thousand Years Ago (China)[]
- Homo erectus
- Bamboo
- Tarantula (live acted)
- Ants (live acted)
- Gigantopithecus
500 Thousand Years Ago (Kenya)[]
- Homo ergaster
- Vulture (live acted)
Trivia[]
- The Homo ergaster seem to appear on the cover of most Walking with Cavemen products, including Walking with Cavemen: Eye-to-Eye with your Ancestors
Gallery[]
Errors/Scientific inaccuracies[]
- Homo ergaster and Homo erectus are portrayed to have light skin, but in reality they would have had a darker pigmentation.
- The episode takes place in Africa 1.5 million years ago, but Homo ergaster which was towards the end of there time on earth. Also when we return to Africa half a million years ago Homo ergaster is still there, though in reality they went extinct 1.4 million years ago.
Broadcast[]
Original airdate[]
- 10 April 2003 20.00 BBC One
Repeat[]
- 16 April 2003 19.00 BBC Four