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Ruins, sand, broken pottery, bone fragments, maybe some gold every once in a while... Until very recently, most people saw archeology as a lot of tedious, dull digging. In fact, however, it gives us a fascinating glimpse into our past and into lost civilizations. Millions of people found this out at the latest when best-selling author Gisela Graichen set out on her archeological TV expeditions for the ZDF. It´s no secret that the cradle of humanity lies on the black continent. But now we know even more: the first anatomically modern human, homo sapiens sapiens, lived in South Africa. In the dunes at the Southern tip of Langebaan Lagoon, some 100 kilometers north of Cape Town, "Schliemanns Erben" not only discovered Eva´s thousand-year-old footsteps, but also stone tools, animal remains and bones from cattle, gazelles, rhinoceroses, horses. Until now, little was known about the activities of early humans "in the open". But here in South Africa, the testimony to their life and their environment is uniquely spread out. The researchers use high-tech modern methods to support their explorations, and anyone who´s interested can view the latest state of research via the Internet. No stranger is allowed to enter the diamond restricted area near Lüderitz. But there is one archeologist in the employ of the diamond group NAMDEB who keeps encountering traces of stone age humans and German colonial troops. Since the restricted area was set up in 1908, it has remained practically untouched ecologically as well. A broad field of operation for a lone archeologist, one that physically measures 100 x 300 kilometers. The "white lady" on the Brandberg has become internationally famous. But this enigmatic rock drawing on a remote granite massif in Namibia is just an excerpt from a magnificent illustrated broadsheet that gives glimpses into long-forgotten cultures. Thousands of fascinating scenes that were deciphered by "Schliemanns Erben" and communicate insights into the life and thinking of early humans: advertising columns from the past.