Presenting the women in chronological order, Sykes engages in an exercise of imagination first with Ursula, the oldest of the seven women. The Ursula clan, he explains, would go on to become the first modern humans to successfully colonize Europe, ultimately replacing Neanderthals as they receded into extinction. Approximately 11 percent of modern Europeans are direct maternal descendents of Ursula.
Time Period: 45,000 years ago
Band Type: Hunter-Gatherer
Climate: Colder and colder as the Great Ice Age reached its climax
Ancient Location: Central Greece
Modern Location: Modern descendents of Ursula are well represented throughout western Britain and Scandinavia