Powerful forces have forged the conditions on Earth that have made life possible. The millennia have been witnesses to the formation of the planet: its singular position in relation to the sun, the evolution of the continents, and the birth of entire mountain chains. All of these elements combine to create Earth’s constantly changing climate. Homo sapiens emerge into this unpredictable and violent world, fighting for survival from the start. It is these early humans’ ability to adapt that allows them to triumph even in the face of incredible adversity and sets the path for modern man.

Is it possible that climate change could have kick-started the end of antiquity and heralded the beginning of the Dark Ages? New scientific insights point to the impact of the eruption of the Ilopango Volcano in Central America. The eruption was violent and propelled ash into the stratosphere. As a result, the sun struggled to break through the ash. The following 10 years were extraordinarily cold, and this was the beginning of a time period marked by famine, war, and an almost complete loss of cultural heritage.