Editing Ancestors

The '''Ancestors'''{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=10-11}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/the-new-halo-encyclopedia-is-out-today|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=The New Halo Encyclopedia is Out Today|D=11|M=03|Y=2023}} or '''ancient humanity''',<ref name="wp hum">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/species/humans '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Humans'']</ref><ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-sustained-glass '''Canon Fodder''': ''Sustained Glass'']</ref> were a prehistoric, technologically advanced civilization of the [[human]] species that rose to preeminence in the [[Milky Way|Milky Way galaxy]] by approximately [[150,000 BCE]]. Having first achieved interstellar travel over a million years earlier and colonized planets across the [[Orion Arm]] toward the galactic border, humans became a major political and military power rivaling the [[Forerunner]]s; indeed, the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] considered them the second greatest military power and the latest challenge to Forerunner influence. Over a hundred thousand years later, the [[Librarian]] would tell [[John-117]] that they were the greatest threat ever faced by the Forerunners.{{Ref/Reuse|reclaimer}} Members of the most predominant human species of this era (retroactively known as "ancient humans" and scientifically designated ''' ''archeohomina'' '''<ref name=wf>''[[Halo: Warfleet]]'', ''page 14''</ref>) were on average larger, stronger, and significantly more intelligent than modern humans.{{Ref/Reuse|wp hum}} This civilization [[Human-San'Shyuum alliance|allied]] with the contemporary [[San'Shyuum]] and later [[Human-Forerunner war|waged war]] against the [[Flood]], only to come into conflict with the Forerunners; they ultimately suffered a disastrous defeat against the Forerunners and were subsequently regressed into hunter-gatherers, [[Erde-Tyrene civilization|confined to their ancient homeworld]].

Having presumably evolved and achieved civilization on [[Earth]], originally known as "Erda" or "Erde-Tyrene",<ref name="prim237">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 237-238''</ref> humanity first became a spacefaring civilization at some point prior to [[1,100,000 BCE]]. These early humans settled on numerous worlds along the galactic margin; these regions would be targeted by the [[Flood]]'s initial assault over a million years later.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 67-68''</ref> Early in their history, long before encountering the [[Forerunner]]s, humanity underwent a series of technological dark ages, which left their populations scattered across many worlds and resulted in the loss of most of their records, including the knowledge of Earth being their potential original homeworld. It was not until much later when scientists led by [[Yprin Yprikushma]] traced humanity's potential origin to Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|prim237}} Around [[150,000 BCE]] humanity moved their civilization outward along the [[Orion Arm]], possibly to flee Forerunner control.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 20''</ref> They first settled in and built up population centers in two star systems dozens of lightyears away from Sol before stringing outposts together across nearly thirty thousand lightyears toward the galactic margin of the galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 42''</ref>

This civilization encountered the [[Flood]] by [[108,764 BCE]] at the latest and went to war against the parasite after discovering its true nature. After losing many planets to the Flood, humanity desperately invaded a minor sector of the Forerunners' [[ecumene]], ostensibly in an attempt to seize new territory to replace the worlds they had lost, though at least some instances of this seeming aggression were in fact humanity sterilizing worlds where Flood infestation had already taken hold. Nevertheless, the Forerunners responded violently to this aggression and [[Human-Forerunner wars|waged war]] with the humans and their San'Shyuum allies. The resulting conflicts lasted for a thousand years.<ref name="reclaimer">'''[[Halo 4]]''', campaign level ''[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]''</ref>

After a certain point, the Flood's rampage throughout human territory stopped. The Flood no longer infected humans and instead began to rapidly die out, with both humans and Forerunners sterilizing the remaining infestations.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 36-37''</ref> Based on this pattern, the Forerunners concluded that humanity had discovered a cure for the Flood: according to Forerunner records, the humans sacrificed a third of their total population, implanting them with destructive, artificially programmed genes used to target the Flood on a genetic level. In reality, however, the Flood had receded by its own volition after the sacrifice; no truly functioning cure was ever created or used by humanity,<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 367''</ref> though both Forerunners and humans themselves remained under such illusion.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 53''</ref>

Stretched thin due to fighting two wars at once, the humans were finally driven to their capital of Charum Hakkor. After [[Battle of Charum Hakkor|holding off for fifty-three years]] they were defeated at the hands of the Forerunners, led by the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]].<ref name="c267">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 267-272''</ref> Before the fall of Charum Hakkor some humans suggested they should draw out the Flood and use it against the Forerunners. However, this strategy was denied, as the human leadership chose to face defeat rather than allow the Flood to spread.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 190''</ref>

The Forerunner victory proved disastrous for the galaxy, as the humans destroyed all their research data and physical evidence concerning the Flood, including their supposed cure. [[Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]] speculated it may have been humanity's last act of revenge to leave the Forerunners unprepared to face the incoming threat that led to the firing of the [[Halo Array]].{{Ref/Reuse|c267}} The last human survivors on Charum Hakkor were subjected to thorough analysis and experimentation to discover their supposed Flood immunity; eventually, their patterns were extracted by [[Composer]]s and archived in machine storage, where the human essences would be incessantly scoured for a cure for thousands of years.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 43''</ref>

The Librarian and Didact later learned that humanity had never developed a cure or a way to fend off the Flood. As the remnant of the [[Precursor]]s, the Flood sought to punish the Forerunners for destroying them and ensure that humanity obtained the [[Mantle]]. When the Forerunners retaliated against the humans for invading Forerunner worlds, the Flood predicted that the Forerunners would try to exterminate humanity. Of its own volition, the Flood abruptly receded from human territory, knowing that the humans would temporarily rebound and thus unknowingly deceive the Forerunners into thinking they may have developed a cure. This caused the Forerunners to restrain themselves from eradicating humanity and preserve a regressed remnant population since they needed living humans to study if their apparent Flood cure was to be found.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 259-261''</ref>

[[File:ObservingArtifact.png|thumb|250px|After their once highly advanced civilization had been shattered by the Forerunners, most humans lived within [[Wikipedia:Hunter-gatherer|hunter-gatherer]] communities. The humans seen here are observing [[Portal at Voi|the portal]] to the Ark.]]

For much of humanity's history before the mid-26th century, virtually all artifacts and records of their former civilization had been lost to time. However, in the mid-2550s, after the [[Human-Covenant War]] had ended, small but significant discoveries began to trickle in about humanity's powerful past. On [[Heian]], ruins were found resembling a wide variety of human styles, including Greco-Roman, Middle Eastern, and East Asian, with subtle Forerunner themes. The [[Department of Xenoarchaeological Studies]] at the [[University of Edinburgh]] found the obvious elements of human architecture in the structures puzzling, wondering if their builders borrowed from human architecture or the other way around.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', ''From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal''</ref> The [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] discovered one derelict ancient human vessel at [[Site Yankee-002-G3]]. The [[Xeno-Materials Exploitation Group]] examined the artifact in [[ONI XENO-MATERIALS EXPLOITATION REPORT 15Y1198]] and assessed its tactical capabilities. Their report recommended that further analysis of the ship should be immediately assigned to [[Project ARC DREAM]] and noted that an investigation of its weaponry was already underway by a team on [[AZURE MOON]].<ref name=wf/>

In [[2557#July|July 2557]], the [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan-II]] [[John-117]] encountered an archived personality of the Forerunner known as the [[Librarian]] on [[Requiem]]. She revealed the times of the ancient [[human-Forerunner wars]] to the Spartan, as well as the origins of the mechanical [[Promethean]]s, ancient humans who had been the first "conscripts" into the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]]'s army during the last years of the Forerunner's [[Forerunner-Flood war|war]] against the Flood. The Librarian further revealed that she had been guiding humanity since their devolution, notably instigating the physical evolution of the select few humans who met the SPARTAN-II program's genetic requirements, as well as the creation of [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|powered armor]] and even [[Smart AI|AI]]s like [[Cortana]], in an attempt to prepare humanity from an unknown threat. The Librarian would call John "the culmination of a thousand lifetimes of planning" though she never got to tell him for what. During this conversation, the Librarian would call ancient humanity the greatest threat ever faced by the Forerunners. As a result, the recently revived Didact sought to finish their destruction with the [[Composer]]. John would later share this information with the bridge crew of the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}.{{Ref/Reuse|reclaimer}} At some point, the UNSC would discover some ancient human ruins with knowledge on a dead world, and a shattered starship with a vault full of unknown materials; using technology gathered from both discoveries, the UNSC would create the [[HELLCAT-class Mjolnir]].<ref>''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'', ''Hellcat armor description''</ref>

 

 

 

 

[[File:H4-Terminal-Prehistoric human BridgeOfficer1.jpg|thumb|250px|This prehistoric human possessed a facial composition identical to that of a modern human.]]

While ancient humans exhibited a range of morphological variation,<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 129''</ref> the ethnic group represented by [[Forthencho]] and his [[bridge]] crew were remarkably similar in appearance to modern ''Homo sapiens''. They possessed straight to wavy hair textures, thin to full lips, and an overall largely similar facial composition to their modern counterparts. <ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 236''</ref> Like modern humans, ancient humans had a range of different body types; for example, Forthencho was tall and muscular while [[Yprin Yprikushma]] had a short and stocky build.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 307''</ref> After meeting [[Chakas]], a ''Homo sapiens'', the [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] was displeased and noted that he was too much like the humans who had murdered his children and nearly destroyed his fleets while he was more pleased with the appearance of [[Riser]], a [[Florian]] and a different type of human.<ref>'''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''', ''page 82''</ref>

Despite the technological and biological achievements of their descendants, prehistoric humans naturally possessed more body mass and strength{{Ref/Reuse|s42}} and were on average significantly more intelligent than modern humans.{{Ref/Reuse|wp hum}} The Librarian said that, if not for their encounter with the Flood, prehistoric humanity's gene-plan could have surpassed that of even the Forerunners.<ref>'''Halo 4''', ''[[Terminal (Halo 4)|Terminal 3]]''</ref> After fighting against the Didact for fifty-three years, in the endgame of the human-Forerunner wars, Forthencho had acquired noticeable facial wrinkles. However, he still retained the body mass he possessed in his youth. Given the length of Forthencho's career (at least a thousand years) it can be concluded that ancient humans had much longer lifespans (a [[Bestarium|record]] made by [[343 Guilty Spark]] on Reclaimers and specifically [[John-117]] indicated that one of the physiological ailments he possesses is modern humanity's "highly truncated lifespan") than their modern descendants (whether naturally, due to advanced medical science, or a combination of the two), although their lifespans still paled in comparison to those of the Forerunners.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 234''</ref>

Little is known about human culture of this time. According to the [[Ur-Didact]], humanity believed themselves to be the true inheritors of the [[Mantle|Mantle of Responsibility]], a notion the Forerunners considered heretical.{{Ref/Reuse|c112}} Ironically, the Precursors had intended for humans to inherit the Mantle instead of the Forerunners.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 364''</ref> Regardless of the pressure on their growing populations and the Flood, humans were also said to be particularly cruel toward other species. [[Chakas]], examining the harvested memories of his ancestors imprinted to him as part of a ''[[geas]]'', discovered that they believed in "creating many souls", or expanding their population by conquering and claiming other worlds.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 130''</ref>  

 

 

 

After centuries of constant warfare against the Forerunners and the Flood, human society had become exceedingly militarized; military officials wielded significant decision-making power, some military offices (namely that of the Political and Morale Commander) doubling as political leadership. During the siege of Charum Hakkor, even human children were organized into their defensive guards.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 41''</ref>

At least some ancient humans practiced a polytheistic religion, including the [[Forthencho|Lord of Admirals]].<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 320''</ref> The [[Ur-Didact|Didact]] noted that humans had a tendency to worship inanimate objects, including [[Precursor]] artifacts.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 228''</ref> In addition, the humans believed in the teaching of [[Daowa-maad|Daowa-maadthu]], a concept at the center of their beliefs and practices, a reference to the cyclical pattern of trial and growth witnessed over time and often referred to as the roll and tug of the universe on the individual and those within it.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P26}} This system was exemplified for the ancient humans when a strange powder was discovered aboard mysterious derelict starships that would lead to the devastating civilization-spanning outbreak known as the Flood.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 56''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P26}}

In the decades before the dismantling of their civilization, humans were technological equals of the Forerunners in many areas, likely placing them on Tier 1 on the Forerunner [[Technological Achievement Tiers|technological achievement scale]]. This was largely thanks to the efforts of Yprin Yprikushma, who encouraged humanity to study Forerunner technologies encountered in earlier conflicts with Forerunners.{{Ref/Reuse|prim237}} Despite this, the Forerunners' technological achievements still overshadowed those of humanity in many fields, including [[Astroengineering|megascale engineering]] and [[slipspace]] technology. For example, the humans were seemingly unable to construct megastructures on the scale of a [[Halo Array|Halo installation]],<ref name="p257">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 257''</ref> and their understanding of space-time reconciliation was inferior to that of the Forerunners, who were able to use their superior understanding of slipspace to an advantage by clogging the humans' slipspace channels and slowing their interstellar travel.<ref name="prim240">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 240''</ref>

Humans of this time used [[artificial intelligence]] constructs known as [[servitor]]s.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 34''</ref> These robotic intelligences assisted human scientists in reverse-engineering Forerunner technologies during the Forerunner wars, nearly bridging the technological gap between the two civilizations.{{Ref/Reuse|prim237}} On Charum Hakkor, the humans built vast constructs supported by the Precursor structures; cities stretching to orbit along [[orbital arch]]es, described by [[Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]] as resembling ivy growing on great trees. In addition, they built energy towers and defense platforms operating at [[geosynchronous orbit]] and equigravitation,<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 164''</ref> linked by virtually unbreakable Precursor [[Star road|filaments]].<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 118''</ref> Many human worlds were encompassed by vast railway networks, a technological achievement Forthencho took pride in.{{Ref/Reuse|p257}}

Humanity's empire encompassed at least twenty thousand worlds in a thousand star systems across thirty thousand lightyears<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 42''</ref> of the [[Milky Way Galaxy]].;<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 129''</ref> This is likely before they lost a third of their colonies to the Flood as the Flood had ravaged humanity's colonies for over one thousand years prior to the discovery of the Primordial and the Flood only retreated from the Milky Way Galaxy during the 40 years between the Primordial being discovered by humanity and the final 53-year conflict of the human-Forerunner wars.

*''[[Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo]]''