Editing Erde-Tyrene civilization

{{Era|Forerunner}}
Between approximately [[109,000 BCE]] and [[100,000 BCE]], a '''prehistoric civilization''' shared by various species and subspecies of [[human]] and related genera existed on [[Earth]], then known as Erde-Tyrene. This civilization was a reduced remnant of humanity's [[Prehistoric human civilization|previous interstellar empire]], which was shattered by the [[Forerunner]]s at the conclusion of the [[human-Forerunner wars]]. Erde-Tyrene itself was considered an insignificant and obscure vassal planet of the Forerunners' [[ecumene]], with a Forerunner [[Miner]] presence on the nearby [[Mars]], known as Edom at the time.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 15, 17''</ref>

==History==
===Previous civilization===
{{Main|Prehistoric human civilization}}
Humans first evolved and achieved civilization on [[Earth]], originally known as ''Erda'' or ''Erde-Tyrene'',<ref name="p237">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 237-238''</ref> before [[1,100,000 BCE]]. For over a million years,<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 67-68''</ref> humanity roamed [[Milky Way|the galaxy]], experiencing a number of technological dark ages in the interim.<ref name="p237"/> Around [[110,000 BCE]], their latest — and last — interstellar empire stumbled upon the parasitic [[Flood]], which indirectly forced humanity into a [[Human-Forerunner wars|millennium-long conflict]] with the Forerunners. Exhausted from fighting the Flood, the humans were eventually defeated.

Following humanity's surrender at their capital of [[Charum Hakkor]] and the end of the human-Forerunner wars, the Forerunners used [[Composer]]s to extract the patterns of the remaining humans on Charum Hakkor. However, many more humans remained in scattered redoubts across the galaxy, which the Forerunners and their subject species proceeded to conquer and gather any live specimens.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 156''</ref> These humans were transported back to Earth while all signs of human achievement and technology were erased from the galaxy.<ref name="s45">'''Halo: Silentium''', ''pages 45-47''</ref>

===Regression and revival===
As punishment for defying the Forerunners, the Forerunners' [[Ecumene Council|Old Council]] decreed that the humans be stripped of all technology and be forced to undergo an artificially-induced process of biological devolution: within a relatively short span of time, live humans had millions of years of their evolution reversed, soon leading to them losing body mass and, eventually, intelligence as well.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 42''</ref> This process was reluctantly overseen by the Forerunner [[Lifeshaper]], the [[Librarian]], acting under orders of the Old Council. While many Forerunners in positions of power wanted to see humanity wiped out, the Librarian spoke out in their defense, viewing them as special and potentially worthy of inheriting the Forerunners' [[Mantle|Mantle of Responsibility]].<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 77''</ref>

The Librarian's beliefs about humanity were reinforced during the subsequent millennium: in only a thousand years, the devolved humans' population skyrocketed. Furthermore, the humans branched off into numerous species and subspecies, progress that should have normally taken millions of years. While this was partly due to the assistance of the Librarian and her ''[[geas]]'', there were also unknown factors not even the Librarian and her subordinate [[Lifeworker]]s could explain despite studying the humans' genetic code in detail.<ref name="s45"/> Over 20 of these species migrated across Earth and formed separate populations across the planet.<ref name="c25"/>

The development of civilization began anew; humans began to settle down and gather into tribal communities and villages. They began to grow crops and domesticated many animals, such as sheep, goats, wolves, cattle and birds. They developed tools, and eventually even basic industry and trade.<ref name="s45"/><ref name="c25"/><ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 86''</ref> Others continued to live in [[Technological Achievement Tiers|Tier 7]] tribal communities, such as the one that was encountered by the Forerunners during the construction of [[Portal at Voi|the portal]] to [[Installation 00|the Ark]] in eastern [[Africa]].<ref>'''[[Halo 3: The Cradle of Life]]'''</ref>

===Conservation Measure===
Humanity was one of many species indexed and preserved by the [[Librarian]] during the [[Lifeworker]]s' [[Conservation Measure]], the effort to catalog and index all life in the [[ecumene]] for repopulation in the event the [[Halo Array]] was fired. With a primary population of specimens held at the [[greater Ark]], [[Tudejsa|another population]] of hundreds of thousands of humans of over 120 different varieties was ferried from Earth to [[Installation 07]], where they were lated exploited by [[Faber]], the [[Master Builder]], in a series of experiments on the [[Flood]].<ref name="p188">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 188''</ref>

Regarding Earth her "special population", the Librarian would imprint the humans there with the [[Mind transfer|essences]] of human warriors processed via Composers after Charum Hakkor's fall. These imprints were kept dormant but were designed to awaken at the right triggers — such as those encountered by [[Chakas]] and [[Riser]] after meeting with the Forerunner [[IsoDidact|Bornstellar]]. However, both the Council and the Librarian forbade taking these humans to the Halos for preservation or storage, as not they did not want to risk the presence of ancient human military personnel on the weapons. Acting against their explicit instructions, the Master Builder took populations of imprinted Earth humans to Installation 07 in his feverish search for a cure for the Flood.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 189''</ref>

After the Forerunners moved their own surviving population to the greater Ark, the Librarian's indexed humans — who represented the bulk of the species — were moved to the nearby [[Omega Halo]]. Most of this population, as well as many of the formerly diverse human species, were lost when the [[Ur-Didact]] used the [[Composer]] on the inhabitants of Omega Halo. However, the Librarian and her successor, [[Chant-to-Green]], managed to save enough specimens aboard [[Installation 00]] to successfully revitalize ''Homo sapiens'' and several other species. Following the firing of the Halo Array, the surviving humans were [[reintroduction|returned]] to Earth.<ref name="rebirth"/>

After their reintroduction to Earth, the human civilization regressed once again, and would remain as Tier 7 hunter-gatherers for nearly a hundred millennia. Viewing humanity as special, the Librarian had imposed a ''[[geas]]'' upon the species, which has been said to have greatly affected their later development; in particular preparing humans for their role as [[Reclaimer|successors]] to the Forerunners as stewards of the galaxy.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 375''</ref>

==Species==
In this time period, Earth was home to numerous sapient species of [[Wikipedia:Homo|human]], [[Wikipedia:Hominidae|hominid]], [[Wikipedia:Ape|hominoid]], and [[Wikipedia:Simian|anthropoid]], all of whom were understood, or regarded themselves, as being part of a single "People".<ref name="p169">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 169''</ref> The multitude of species among the human genus itself was generated rather rapidly, most of them over the course of only 1,000 years, after the humans' forced devolution at the hands of the Forerunners. There were more than 20 species regarded as human,<ref name="c25">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 25-26''</ref> with over 120 different subtypes known.<ref name="p188"/> These various forms represented species and subspecies both new and ones that had once existed but were suppressed over the course of the devolution.<ref>'''Halo: Silentium''', ''page 48''</ref> Still, given human species had stayed remarkably similar to their ancestral forms during their regression and re-evolution.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 129''</ref> This meddling was noted to have considerably distorted Earth's natural fossil records,<ref name="c127">'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 127''</ref> and made it difficult to determine the exact lineage for a particular human species.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 242''</ref>

Some, although not all, of these species were saved in the Lifeworkers' [[Conservation Measure]] and made it to [[Installation 00]] for preservation when the [[Halo Array]] was fired.

*[[Human|Ha''manush'']] (''Homo sapiens''; modern human): among the most prominent species; would several tens of thousands of years later supersede all of the others as the sole human species
*[[Florian|Cha''manush'']] (''Homo floresiensis''; Florian): a diminutive species later transplanted to Flores and several nearby islands; long-lived, hirsute and expressive-faced
*[[Neanderthal|K'ta''manush'']] (''Homo neanderthalensis''; Neanderthal): roamed the northern ice flats of Earth,<ref name="c25"/> which was undergoing a glacial period at the time<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 20''</ref>
*[[B'ashamanune|B'asha''manush'']]: a thin and lithe species which inhabited Earth's equatorial grasslands<ref name="c25"/>
*[[Denisovan]]: close relatives to both ''Homo sapiens'' and ''neanderthalensis''; tall and lean in stature<ref name="p169"/>
*[[Mara|Sha''kyanunsho'']] (''Gigantopitechus''): a sapient species of giant orangutan that lived in highlands north of Marontik<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 145-146, 186, 212''</ref>

The names of these species were changed to reflect significant changes: when most members of a given species were dead or away from a major spiritual center, the species' name would be prefixed with a glottal click. These rules were known to all humans across Erde-Tyrene but were kept secret from non-human species such as the Forerunners.<ref name="rebirth">'''[[Halo: Rebirth]]'''</ref>

==Notable individuals==
*[[Chakas]]
*[[Riser]]
*[[Vinnevra]]
*[[Gamelpar]]
*[[Kirimt]]
*[[Matriarch of guides]]

==Culture and technology==
Upon humanity's defeat, the Forerunners restricted the humans' access to all forms of technology, regressing them back to a hunter-gatherer state. Still, as Erde-Tyrene gradually faded into obscurity in the eyes of the [[Ecumene Council|Old Council]] and the [[Builder]]s, the [[Librarian]] encouraged the humans to begin redeveloping civilization and technology.<ref name="s45"/> By 100,000 BCE, rudimentary cities were in evidence, most notable of them being [[Marontik]], located amidst a region of expansive grasslands. By that time, humans had also developed primitive industry,<ref name="s45"/> hot-air balloons and steam-powered waterborne vessels as a relatively recent invention.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 59''</ref> This led to a strange hodgepodge of the humans' relatively primitive tribal culture and tradition mixed in with these comparatively sophisticated technologies.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''pages 21-22''</ref> As one other curious feature of note, certain customs and traditions were shared across all humans on Erde-Tyrene,<ref name="rebirth"/> a trait typically unheard of with civilizations of this technological level.

In the human society of this time, it was common for women to marry and bear children relatively early.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 44''</ref> Humans in warm regions — such as Marontik — typically wore assorted rags and loinclothes, although more developed pieces of clothing, including pants and shirts, were worn as well.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 48, 121''</ref>

===Religion and mythology===
The humans of this civilization followed the way of [[daowa-maad]], the basis of which had survived humanity's devolution from their prior, [[Prehistoric human civilization|advanced civilization]].<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 55-56''</ref> Their most sacred beliefs regarding life and death as well as the power of names were tied to this concept.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 207''</ref><ref name="p210"/> In addition, they worshiped the Librarian as "the Lifeshaper" or "the Lady",<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 48''</ref> viewing her as a sort of goddess who personally visited humans at birth and gave them a purpose.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 46''</ref> This belief had a basis in truth; the Librarian did subconsciously appear to newborns via a remote imprinting system to give them her ''[[geas]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 374''</ref> This faith was practiced in dedicated temples, one of which was located in Marontik.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 30''</ref>

In addition to their primary beliefs about afterlife, the humans of Erde-Tyrene had a rich oral tradition of legends and myths, many of them mutually contradictory and liberally mixed in with their religion. These featured a broad pantheon of deities, many of them embodied in animal form.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 182''</ref> Their worldview was generally animistic and featured a plethora of various secondary gods, spirits and ghosts. These incorporeal beings were generally considered unpredictable, occasionally mischievous, and judgmental of the living, because of the lust and envy they felt for them.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 54''</ref> There were many tales of gods and devils which played tricks on humans, commonly told to children.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 284-285''</ref>

Names were considered highly important,<ref name="p210">'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 210''</ref> with an individual's "true name" known only to themselves and their closest relatives while most would refer to him or her by a "borrowing name".<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 42''</ref>

===Rituals===
Upon maturing, males in the greater Marontik area would traditionally undergo rite of passage which involved being led through a series of "sacred caves" located a day's journey from Marontik.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 206''</ref> These caves contained myriad paintings describing the humans' beliefs about life and death.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''page 221''</ref> During the ceremony, the caves would be fumed with the smoke of intoxicating leaves and with the initiate's body covered in clay, elder shamans would carve a series of ritual scarification designs to his back, shoulders, ribs and chest using bone knives.<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 53, 275''</ref>

A dying relative would be prepared for the afterlife through a farewell rite which involved the recitation of a prayer so the dying individual would safely pass over the "western waters" and that the gods that await on the other side — Abada the Rhinoceros and the Great Elephant — would not reject them. It was feared that Abada and the Elephant might turn away if they smelled fear, or if the proper rites were not conducted. In that case, the individual would be left to hyenas and buzzards and would not be granted into a peaceful afterlife,<ref>'''Halo: Primordium''', ''pages 16, 54, 205-207, 219''</ref> instead being forced to roam the earth restlessly as a ghost.<ref name="rebirth"/>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Cryptum]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: Primordium]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{C|[[Terminal/Halo 4|Terminals]] only}}
*''[[Halo: Silentium]]''
*''[[Halo: Rebirth]]''

==Sources==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Organizations}}

[[Category:Human]]