Ella Al-Shamahi’s BBC series Human redefines the story of our origins

“Where do we come from? When did our story really begin? Who were the first Homo sapiens? Not just humans who looked like us, but people who thought and behaved as we do. People we would recognise as truly one of us.”

These are the questions explored by British Arab paleoanthropologist of Yemeni descent, Ella Al-Shamahi, in her latest BBC series Human, which reveals that while many believe Homo sapiens (modern humans) evolved in East Africa around 200,000 years ago, groundbreaking discoveries from eight years ago suggest a different story.

In 2017, fossils found at Jebel Irhoud in Morocco, on the northern coast of Africa, were dated to over 300,000 years ago and are now believed to be the earliest known remains of Homo sapiens, pushing back the timeline of human evolution further than previously thought.

The discovery was mind-blowing at the time and still is, inspiring Ella to spend three years travelling to locations around the world — including Namibia, Botswana, Ethiopia, Peru, Canada, France, Norway, Romania, Sri Lanka, and the UAE — using archaeology, revolutionary science, and fieldwork to trace the origins of Homo sapiens.

To help piece together the human story, Ella examines key ancestors like Homo erectus, who lived between roughly 1.89 million and 110,000 years ago. Thought to have first appeared in Africa, they spread across much of Asia and possibly parts of Europe.

She also explores Homo floresiensis, nicknamed ‘the hobbit’, who lived between 700,000 and 50,000 years ago on the island of Flores in Indonesia. 

The show further covers Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals), whose fossil record dates from around 430,000 to 40,000 years ago, though DNA evidence suggests they may have existed even earlier, living across Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Additionally, Ella explores the Denisovans, who split from their common ancestor with Neanderthals between 440,000 and 390,000 years ago, with DNA found in soil from Denisova Cave in Siberia dating back to between 206,000 and 294,000 years ago.

Speaking to The New Arab, Ella delves deeper into the experience behind the making of Human.

‘We’re cave people with Instagram’

“Our past is who we are,” begins Ella.

She continues, “You know, so many things about us today don’t make sense, and they don’t make sense because we’re living in these massive cities. We didn’t evolve for this. I always say we’re cave people with Instagram — this is not the world we evolved for.”

Elaborating further, Ella explains that humans were designed to live in tribes of about 150 people, where around 70% were close relatives, and everyone knew each other by name.

“You weren’t staying in one place,” she says. “You were moving around constantly. That’s the world we’re better suited for than this one.”

In saying this, Ella acknowledges that while modern cities offer significant advantages, they also come with drawbacks.

“I try not to suggest this is better than that,” she adds. "Where we are today is almost always the result of trade-offs. Hopefully, this helps people understand themselves better and cut themselves some slack. I also want people to be fascinated by what is often called the most incredible story never written down — the human story, which all unfolded before the invention of writing."

Revolutionary leaps

Without fail, in each of the five series, with its own story to tell, Ella successfully draws viewers into the 'incredible story' through mind-blowing discoveries that few people today are aware of.

In series one, for example, viewers discover that for over two million years, early humans mainly relied on simple tools like axes and spears. However, Homo sapiens began to "imagine unseen forces" — such as the power in wood and string — creating something entirely new: the bow and arrow.

As Ella explains in the show, the creation of the bow and arrow demonstrates the knowledge required — knowing where to find the right wood, what glue to use, and how taut the string should be.

Moreover, for Ella, many of these elements require not just knowledge but the ability to pass that knowledge on.

As she puts it, “Something like this is not the result of one person’s genius; it’s the result of many people, over many generations, ‘inventing, reinventing, perfecting, tinkering.’”

She adds, “We weren’t just inventing, we were adapting and expanding our knowledge.”

In making this point, Ella highlights a process called cumulative culture, where human culture becomes more complex and technology advances as each generation builds on the science and skills of the previous one.

Building on this idea, Ella explains that cumulative culture meant Homo sapiens became collectively smarter with each generation. As their numbers grew, this shared knowledge became more powerful than any weapon, marking a crucial step towards the species we are today.

Another fascinating discovery Ella highlights in series one is tiny marine shells she finds on a beach, which she explains would typically be found in caves like those in South Africa.

On close inspection, the shells show holes — some naturally occurring, others deliberately perforated by Homo sapiens — and a detailed examination reveals wear marks indicating they were strung together and worn as jewellery, serving not just as beads, but as emblems of value and meaning shared by all.

Ella reflects on this discovery in the show, saying, “The making and sharing of these beads was one more sign our species had made another revolutionary leap. The ability to pass on knowledge and technology, sharing rituals and traditions. All these things suggest Homo sapiens were passing sophisticated ideas from one mind to another. Our species had unlocked the power of complex language.”

‘It’s like Lord of the Rings’

Reflecting on the series as a whole, specifically the story of human evolution, Ella notes, "It’s like The Lord of the Rings. It’s like this incredible protagonist — we’re kind of a good one, you know? The idea of a species that wasn’t getting anywhere and was failing a lot. And then suddenly, we arrive and end with the invention of writing."

Beyond the story itself, Ella highlights that what made the series special for her was that it was both presented and directed by women, which she proudly believes added a more emotional perspective to the human story.

“I think people have been really surprised that the human story is emotional, and they’ve reacted to it quite well — really well, actually,” she shares.

Ella also reflects on her identity as an Arab presenter, emphasising the importance of diversity in science communication.

She points out the presence of other leading scientists, such as British Iraqi theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili and Sudanese wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin, saying, “It’s nice to have that diversity — it’s so important — because you end up with more diverse stories and more interesting ways of telling them, rather than just having one way of thinking in the room. I’m usually the only Arab in the room, but in terms of science and natural history presenters, there are a few of us, so it’s kind of interesting.”

Looking ahead, Ella does not shy away from the challenges that remain in exploring human history.

“It was a challenge to narrow the story of human evolution down to just five episodes, and that says a lot,” she admits. 

“There are stories to be told before we even turn up. As soon as you start talking about the invention of farming, the stories become so rich. There are so many stories to explore, including those about other human species that once existed on the planet.”

Ultimately, for Ella, getting Human out to the world was a starting point — a proof of concept.

“It was me saying, ‘Look, human evolution is relevant. It is really important for us to tell people about it.’ I think the public will respond, so I’m hoping this is just the beginning.”

Episode 5 will air on BBC Two on Monday 11 August at 9 pm. All five episodes are already available to watch on BBC iPlayer, and in the US, the series will premiere on PBS NOVA starting 17 September

Zainab Mehdi is The New Arab's Associate Editor and researcher specialising in governance, development, and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa region

Follow her on Instagram: @zaiamehdi_/@zainabmehdiwrites_