Dr. Alan Thorne presents the story of how people changed from hunters and gatherers to farmers and herders in Southeast Asia, China, and the Pacific islands off the coast of Asia. He shows how this process is still taking place in some of these areas. 

This video is part 5 in the 11 part series "MAN ON THE RIM" which portrays the history of the Pacific Rim countries and their intriguing life today. MAN ON THE RIM traces the greatest succession of migrations in history and the historical and cultural background of this remarkable migration. It uncovers the footprints of a tremendous cavalcade of technological and biological evolution. Today the global economic center of gravity is shifting to the pacific and the peoples of the Rim are emerging as a major force in world affairs. This extraordinary series offers a glimpse of the shape of the next momentous period in human history: the Pacific Century.