All modern humans come from people who migrated from Africa. What technology did they carry  with them? Sibudu near Durban has archaeological finds from 80000-30000 years ago: the oldest bedding in the world, oldest bone arrow-head, oldest compound glue. This film shows how human cognition serves human needs through ingenious tool-making. It starts from modern manufacture and works backwards in time through the most important technical leaps to Sibudu. To claim world heritage for this local African site, co-producers from different manufacturing countries are needed. Suggestions in brackets are from known industry or cultural interest.  

Treatment (handsome presenter to tie episodes together)

Episode 1  Sibudu Rock Shelter – where ? What has been found there and from when?

Episode 2  (Turkey ? Italy ?)  AWL and THONG– man buckling  trouser belt today back to bone awl and stone scrapers.  

Episode 3 (Germany ? China?)BLADES  Kitchen knife today. Paring, peeling, slicing , back to stone chips hafted for different functions.

Episode 4   GLUE COMPOUNDS (Taiwan?). Shopping for fit-for-purpose glue and so back to ochre-acacia compounds.  

Episode 5 ARROWS Guns back to Arrows (US? UK ? RSA?),and the San break-off poisoned arrows

 Episode 6 SNARES and TRAPS (Canada? Congo ?) Trapping and bird-snaring.

Episode 7 BEDDING  (Egypt ? UK ?) From bed-shopping and back via woven mats to sedge bedding at Sibudu.

 Episode 8  INSECTICIDES,MEDICINES POISONS (Brazil ? Switzerland?)  Shopping for bug-sprays back via herbal Pharma to Sibudu insecticidal leaves.

Episode 9 COSMETICS (France ? India ?  New Zealand?) Body painting modern and tribal. Back  via C18 face powder;   kohl eye-liner;  red ochre body paint at Sibudu

Episode 10  BUTTONS and NECKLACES ( China ? New Zealand ? Czech ?) Drilled shells as currency or adornment ?  

Episode 11  Round-up on technical leaps. Zoom out pics of Sibudu

see www.sqtofilms.com for details of film company