What we call history began when humans started to record their experiences on cave walls, in cuneiform and on papyrus. The ability to record events was a transforming development for our entire species. But until very recently–until the Web–the vast collective documentary created by human beings has always been limited because the works we created were so difficult to access. Very little was stored, much was lost and much of what existed was hard to find. All but the tiniest portion of the vast human experience has been scattered to the winds.
