Human Earth: 65 Million Years of European History — Full Documentary

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: This is a journey across a magnificent continent. A journey through space and time. Along the way, we discover the traces of ancient oceans and unearth the remains of tropical rainforests way up high in the mountains. Dinosaurs join us as traveling companions. We meet up with Neanderthals and are on hand to witness a cosmic accident that came close to obliterating everything. We encounter hunters and the hunted and join Europe on its long journey around our planet. Welcome to the Rhine River floodplain of the Eocene age. [00:01:10] Speaker ?: It is 10 million years after a comet impact has devastated our planet. [00:01:18] Speaker 1: And Europe has migrated farther north. In the subtropical climate, mammals have come to dominate the scene. Here, where later the Riesling grape will grow, we now find a lush, primeval rainforest. Half of all known modern-day mammalian groups are already in existence here. Birds, fish, fish, and insects, too. The entire animal kingdom is almost the same as the present-day edition. Not the European one, however. [00:02:18] Speaker ?: Nowadays, many of the Eocene inhabitants live in the tropical regions of South America and [00:02:18] Speaker 1: Asia. It's thanks to a volcano that we know exactly which animals lived here back then. When the volcano erupted 48 million years ago, a 300-meter-deep crater lake was formed. Plants and animals were swept down deep into the depths. But instead of being destroyed, they were preserved intact in oil shale. The Messelpitt, near the city of Darmstadt in Germany. Here, layer for layer, a snapshot of a major event and geological history is being excavated. The fossil record tells of life and death at the crater lake. Most likely, poisonous gases bubbling up from below had escaped the water, causing animals to asphyxiate, fall into the lake, and drown. Many fossilized bats have been found. They must have swooped down too close to the water surface. Today, the Messelpitt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a unique gateway to prehistoric Europe. The oldest extant hand of a primate was found here. The fossil finds in Messelpitt are astonishingly true-to-life imprints of the animals. Shadows of skin as well as hair and plumage are depicted. Sometimes, the stomach contents have even been preserved. The most spectacular find to date was made back in the 1980s. It's called Hercules, a 60-centimeter-long, monkey-like animal with a very long tail. The creature had most likely fallen prey to the same poisonous gases as the other animals discovered in the shale. 47 million years later, the little lady primate caused quite a stir. Now known as Ida, she was long billed as the progenitor of the human race. Although no definitive evidence for this was ever produced, her body does display one of evolution's greatest innovations, gripping hands with opposable thumbs. The tropical eocene forest too was eventually buried beneath the layers of time. Now, whenever we scratch the surface, a glimpse of prehistory is revealed. After, where the diggers now scooped the last lignite out of the ground, virgin forests once lined a long coastline. Slumbering beneath the lignite are tons of amber, frozen in time within it, the life of the ancient forests. Much of western Europe was now being covered over with a fresh layer of ice. Coming down from Scandinavia, the glaciers pushed all the way to London. Coming from the Alps, they made it to the Kimse in Bavaria. The glaciers formed and displaced earth and rock, and bound so much water that vast areas of the North Sea were drained. The Quaternary, the most recent geological period, was a time of upheaval. There were repeated glacier thaws, with the meltwater runoff cutting deep gullies into the land. As the cold retreated northwards, the animals of the cold periods disappeared. Forests spread out again. Hippopotamus, elephants, and rhinoceros migrated from the south to the once again green habitats. Roe deer lived in the immediate vicinity of the elephants, in the tributaries of the original Rhine. Forest elephants now lived where mammoths had previously grazed, and roe deer and wild boar came along to take the place of reindeer. The animals migrated in accordance with the changing climate. [00:09:05] Speaker ?: Forests spread out again. [00:09:07] Speaker 1: But something significant had changed. The animals were no longer alone. Forests spread out again. [00:09:28] Speaker ?: Forests spread out again. I don't know. [00:10:22] Speaker 1: In October 1907, laborer Daniel Hartmann made an astonishing find. My friends, today I done found Adam. Just days later, an anthropologist visited the sandpit. For 20 years, the researcher had been paying the workers to excavate bones for him. His patience and his investment had finally paid off. [00:11:32] Speaker 2: Where exactly did you find him? Over yonder in the steep face. Hmm. So did you thoroughly search a spot? Uh-huh. And did you find any more of them? This here. That, that, that, and this. Uh-huh. [00:11:48] Speaker 1: The mandible belonged to a precursor of the Neanderthal. It was given the name Homo heidelbergensis. The age of man had begun. Long before the first human beings appeared in Europe, the Middle Rhine was formed. The Alps applied pressure from the south, creating the central German uplands. Then, 25 million years ago, the ocean retreated from the rising mountain range, leaving the Middle Rhine behind. It didn't hook up with the upper Rhine until 10 million years later. Much later still, human beings came along to make their unrelenting mark on the landscape. During the century of industrialization, the Rhine, as many other European rivers, was straightened along its entire length, reshaping entire regions. The Romans brought the art of winemaking along with them to the south of France, to Germany, to Italy, and to Spain. They laid the foundation for the triumph of Riesling, Melot, and Cabernet. Although the landscape along the Rhine doesn't suggest it, people here live closer to the Earth's blowholes than they know. On the river island, Namandayavet, a watersprout shoots up to heights of up to 60 meters, the highest cold-water geyser on Earth. Not far from the geyser lies an old crater lake, the Lachaze. In the Middle Ages, an order of Benedictine monks retreated to the seclusion of the lake. They built a monastery and called it Maria Lach. But the monks didn't suspect that they were living closer to the brink of hell than to heaven. The extinguished fire mountains in the Eiffel region of Germany can reignite at any moment, as can the supervolcanoes of Italy. No one can say if it will be in 10,000 years or next Tuesday. The last time the Maria Lach volcano erupted, the result was destruction of unimaginable proportions. The ash spread as far as southern Sweden and northern Italy. For several days, avalanches of hot lava and ash barreled through the valleys, creating an almost 30-meter-high wall that dammed up the Rhine and Mosul Rivers for weeks on end. As the dam finally burst, a gigantic torrent of floodwater went crashing downstream, all the way to the Netherlands, laying waste to everything in its path. [00:16:04] Speaker ?: The water is a very small and the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. [00:16:36] Speaker 1: The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. [00:16:45] Speaker ?: The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. [00:16:48] Speaker 1: The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. [00:16:52] Speaker ?: The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a very small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. The water is a small area of the river. [00:18:35] Speaker 1: More than 200,000 years ago, this species of human had already developed in Europe. In the coldest periods, the advancing glaciers had forced the Neanderthal to up sticks and move on. Finally, however, the species succeeded in adapting to the cold. The Neanderthal was long assumed to have been inferior to modern man in almost every way. Not so. Neanderthals knew how to find the safest hideouts and the best hunting grounds. They were skillful craftsmen. They tanned hides and fashioned clothing out of leather and fur. The Neanderthals lived in small clans scattered across a large area. But even in the forests of the warmer periods, survival wasn't easy. The dense woods were home not only to deer, rhinoceros, and forest elephants, but to lions and hyenas as well. As the climate changed, so too did the habitat. But the Neanderthals continued to adapt and survive. Nothing is known about their language, but the anatomy of their throat reveals they would certainly have been able to communicate vocally. Their hunting implements were already far more advanced than those of Homo heidelbergensis. They used a sort of glue made of birch tar to fasten their knife-sharp flint blades to their spears. A brilliant invention. Evidence shows that Neanderthals cared for their sick and buried their dead. There is still much speculation over why they eventually vanished from the face of the earth 30,000 years ago. We were long thought to descend from the victors over these primitives. But apparently, not all encounters between the two were hostile. The fact is, we do share a portion, albeit a small one, of our genetic material with them. The Neanderthal lives on within us. For the last time to date, a great cold period had Northern Europe in its grip. Now the wolves and the large grazers, mammoth, musk oxen, and reindeer wandered in their millions over the wide open spaces. At the foot of the glaciers, a constant wind swept across the land. It was the northernmost outpost of life. When the cold here got too severe, the herds had to move on. The wolves were always hot on their heels. And they weren't the only ones following the herds. In the midst of the cold period, human beings immigrated from the African savannah to what is now Central Europe. For days on end, the hunter roamed the ice desert, searching for fresh meat for his clan. Wolves were among the first wild animals that humans not only hunted, but domesticated as well. The life of the hunters was dictated by the migration of the herds. As the animals changed feeding grounds, the human predators too repeatedly moved camp along the great migration routes. In the summertime, the open steppe was a fruitful hunting ground, but it was almost impossible to track animals in winter. When the snow and wind covered their trail, and they disappeared against the white backdrop. [00:23:11] Speaker ?: The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. The wild animals were in the middle of the sea. [00:23:50] Speaker 1: Every year the hunters waited for their prey to pass by on migration. But the great herds slowly began to disappear. Never to return again. Some species went completely extinct. Others left the land of the Ice Age hunters. For a long time human beings took the route for the disappearance of the mammoth and the Megalosaurus. But the handful of hunters can't be responsible for the extinction of these species. Rising temperatures seemed the more plausible answer for the animal's demise. The end of the Ice Age was the start of a geological restart process. Because only after the glaciers melted, could Northern Europe begin to become the place we know today. The scope and character of the North Sea changed radically. It advanced farther and farther to the south. Flooding the vast plains of the former glacier regions. A completely new habitat was born. The Wadden Sea. [00:25:07] Speaker ?: The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. [00:25:32] Speaker 1: The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. The water is the most important part of the river. That's about all the North Sea has to offer. And yet, the ice desert of yore has become a richly diverse habitat. Twice a day, the tides flood the Wadden Sea with a nutrient-rich brew. The mud offers both protection and food. Beneath the surface of the mud flats, there is an abundance of life. This is the nursery for many fish that will grow up to live in the North Sea. The lumpfish, too, spawns here. The male goes all out to protect the spawn. After all, it's not his survival, but that of his offspring that will secure the survival of the species. After the eggs have hatched, the larvae remain for some time in the safety of the shallow waters before they swim out to sea. The cadavers of the father fish, dead of exhaustion, often wash ashore. In the spring and fall, millions of migratory birds make a rest stop at the Wadden Sea. The area has the largest bird population in Central Europe. The Ice Age created an island of life. Far offshore, the North Sea becomes quite rough. Amidst blustering waves, the island of Helgoland rises up from the sea. Around 250 million years ago, the Red Island was still part of a desert. It's the only port of call far and wide for passing air travelers in need of a rest. Once a year, the cliffs of Helgoland offer countless visiting seabirds - a perfect place to rear their young. In the winter, long after the migratory birds have left the island, grey seals appear on the beach. The bulls compete aggressively for the best spots, trying to conquer the section of beach where the sea cows gather to await the birth of their young. Soon after the young are born, the grey seal mating season begins. One after the other, the bulls come ashore, vying for ascendancy and the fight for procreation. The wilds come ashore, vying for the wilds come ashore, vying for the wilds come ashore, vying for the wilds come ashore, vying for the wilds come ashore. [00:29:33] Speaker 3: The wilds come ashore, vying for the wilds come ashore, vying for the wilds come ashore, vying for the wilds come ashore. [00:29:38] Speaker 1: In the winter, winds churn the sea. Sharp tongues of surf lash away at the cliffs and the beach, carrying off rock and sand and depositing it elsewhere. The work of human hands attempts to stem the process. Along the Baltic Sea coast, things are much quieter. Here, where the Ice Age has scooped out a basin and filled it with its meltwater to create the Baltic Sea, a broad belt of reed marshes and sand flats has developed. Neither land nor water. Free of human intervention, large parts of the Baltic Sea shoreline are sanctuaries for coastal wildlife. These broad belts of marshland are the preserve of the marsh harrier that broods and rears its young on the ground. The chalk cliffs of Rugen are also the product of the glacial ice, which pushed the island up from the depths of the Baltic Sea. The chalk was formed in the dinosaur age, from the tiny lime shells of plankton. Under the pressure of the glaciers, this material grew to become the distinctive chalk cliffs. The warm period covered the chalk with a thin layer of plant matter. The roots of the plants clinged to the soft substratum. Without this protective covering, the surf and rainfall would have long since washed the island away. [00:32:09] Speaker ?: The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. [00:32:25] Speaker 1: The dark and rainfall would have long since the sea. After the end of the last ice age, the climate warmed up very quickly. The forest returned, and along with it, the animals we still know today. The people, who up until this time had been nomadic hunter-gatherers, now began to settle and shape their environment. But as human civilization took its baby steps, entirely new conflicts arose. Wildlife was no longer just a food source. For a farmer tending her fields at the dawn of agriculture, deer were pests to be driven off. For the hunters, the farmers and their fields were alien intruders. They chopped down the forests and disrupted the hunting grounds. Agriculture, however, won through in the end. With what is known as the Neolithic Revolution, mankind began a targeted campaign of adapting nature to its own needs. Villages and later cities were built, and the population grew apace. Because people were no longer dependent on what they could hunt and gather, but could now produce their own nutrition. The wildlife avoided human settlements, retreating ever deeper into the forests. Today's broad, open marshland habitat, on the other hand, offers little protection. But it is here that migratory birds gather each year to start their journey south. The flat, almost treeless land provides a good view for predatory birds, such as the marsh harrier, who aim to take full advantage of the situation before the summer guests move on. When temperatures have dropped, and the migratory birds have flown off on their way, things go quiet on the North Sea coast, the world's largest marshland area. The place seems as remote and uninhabited as it was 2,000 years ago. Vast forests now covered the majority of Western Europe. But along the Rhine, modern civilization advanced all the way up to the North. After conquering part of the Germanic settlement areas, the Romans right away began building a supply and road network. The division, surveying and administration of Germania began. Thanks to a sophisticated measurement technique, the Roman roads cut across the landscape, in perfectly straight lines. These roads connected the Roman camps that later developed into cities, including Cologne, Mainz, and Koblenz. Off the beaten track first laid down by the Romans, modern day Germany is thinly populated. If the forest were still left to its own devices today, it would cover almost the whole of Europe. But where human beings live and intervene, fruit orchards, fields, and pastures have supplanted quite a bit of forest area. New habitats have been created. Here, sheep, cattle, and agricultural machinery prevent the forest from reclaiming the land. The stork likes to be in close proximity to human settlements and is the beneficiary of a regularly occurring massacre, picking tasty tidbits from the field in the aftermath. The storks of the forest. [00:38:03] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:39:10] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:39:15] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. [00:39:16] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:39:33] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:39:48] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:40:08] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:40:12] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:40:32] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:40:35] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:41:05] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:41:12] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:41:34] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:41:38] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:41:49] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:42:02] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:42:04] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:42:32] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:42:42] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:42:50] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:43:08] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:43:22] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:43:32] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:43:58] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:44:10] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:44:31] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. [00:44:32] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:44:38] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:44:52] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. [00:44:53] Speaker 1: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:45:02] Speaker ?: The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. The storks of the forest. [00:45:13] Speaker 1: As well as the sand and stone. Deposited here by the wind and waters. Piled up to create. Mighty sandstone cliffs. When the ocean retreated. Erosion took to the sandstone banks. And turned them into the jagged. Elba sandstone mountains. Diving down between the cliffs. Along the various rock strata. Is like time traveling. Through the geological eras. Of the European continent. And construction is ongoing. As streams and waterfalls. Continuously change the rock face. *music* As far back as the 11th century, people began mining sandstone. Later, with the development of shipping on the river, quarries sprung up along the Elba. The quarrying widened the narrow Elba Valley at several points. Rock for rock, the stone was broken and blasted from the walls. Shipped along the Elba, the stone blocks arrived to build the walls of many magnificent, sacred and stately buildings throughout the world. Elba sandstone is still quarried today, and shipped to customers around the globe. [00:47:37] Speaker ?: *music* [00:47:44] Speaker 3: *music* *music* [00:47:52] Speaker ?: Dresden's master builders, old and new, have eroded the Elba cliffs. For the reconstruction [00:47:59] Speaker 1: of the historic Frauenkirche, they returned once again to the old sandstone quarries. The Hamburg town hall is built of Elba sandstone, as are many other buildings in this urban landscape. The falcons brood here, as they do on the cliffs of the Elba sandstone mountains. As are many other buildings in this urban landscape. The falcons brood here, as they do on the cliffs of the Elba sandstone mountains. The animals have long since made themselves at home in the man-made habitat. The national city of Elba sandstone is near the land, as they do. Today's major cities are anything but hostile to life. They often offer a greater diversity of habitats than the surrounding countryside. The iconic cathedral and Rhine bridges are unmistakable landmarks of the Cologne cityscape. [00:49:19] Speaker ?: *music* [00:49:29] Speaker 1: Tourists, floods of people, concrete, and heavy traffic. You don't think of animals here. But the urban centers don't just attract human beings. Animal immigrants from across the globe have made a new home for their homes for themselves in the metropolis, adding color and variety to the scene. Our contemporary cities bring Europe's long journey of transformation to a conclusion for now. *music* [00:50:08] Speaker ?: *music* *music* *music* *music* *music* [00:50:20] Speaker 1: *music* *music* *music* *music* [00:51:00] Speaker ?: *music* [00:51:00] Speaker 1: *music* *music* *music* *music* *music* ORCHESTRA PLAYS [00:51:47] Speaker ?: ORCHESTRA PLAYS