At the start of a new millennium the human race stands alone, having removed ourselves from the food chain and spread our power and influence across the entire globe and beyond. But how have we got to this position? What factors have helped to shape human civilisation, linking us all together and making us who we are today? MANKIND DECODED reveals the gripping story of how 12 surprising elements have shaped the progress of our species, skipping through time and space to show how these 12 universal forces link all mankind, and always have done. From early breakthroughs in the use of fire, fuels and minerals, through our relationships with animals, the natural world and agriculture, and on to advances in technology, travel and communication that have broadened the horizons of everyone on the planet, the factors that have contributed to the story of mankind are as familiar as they are profound. Through big-budget dramatic reconstructions, cutting-edge CGI and contributions from historians and other experts, MANKIND DECODED reveals the secret history of all of us.