Ancestors: Difference between revisions

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]].

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>

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>

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. They all had black or dark brown skin.<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>