Based on archaeological discoveries the documentary challenges the official stance of the contemporary scientific community on the origins of man evolving from an ape and the supposedly gradual advance of human knowledge.
On February 25, 1996 NBC aired a one-hour prime-time special, The Mysterious Origins of Man, hosted by Charlton Heston. Controversy exploded in the academic community following this telecast. Much of the material for the program was taken from the book Forbidden Archeology, featuring interviews with co-authors Michael Cremo and Richard Thompson on the show.