Science and Technology of Ancient Civilizations

Over the past five million years, our species has spread from the plains of East Africa to every inhabitable landmass on our planet. Combinations of our technological Know-how, scientific knowledge, and complex societies have allowed humanity to shape and affect our environment more than any of our fellow species, even to the point of our peril.
How did we get to this situation?
What are some of our ancestors' choices as individuals, societies, and species that shaped our history to the prese...