Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in Suffolk, Britain, uncovering what is believed to be the oldest known evidence of deliberate fire-making by prehistoric humans. The find, dating back an astonishing 415,000 years, pushes the current timeline for controlled fire use by our ancient ancestors far earlier than previously thought.
Located near the village of Barnham, the site features a hearth made by Neanderthals that has yielded a wealth of information about their lives and abilities. Researchers discovered heated clay, flint tools shattered by intense heat, and two pieces of iron pyrite – a mineral that sparks when struck against flint to ignite tinder.
According to Dr. Nick Ashton, curator of Palaeolithic Collections at the British Museum in London, "We think humans brought pyrite to the site with the intention of making fire. And this has huge implications, pushing back the earliest fire-making."
This finding sheds new light on the evolution of human societies and their relationship with fire. Controlled flames allowed ancient hunter-gatherers to thrive in colder environments, cook food, and protect themselves from predators, ultimately leading to the growth of larger brains and more complex social structures.
The campfire is believed to have served as a social hub, bringing people together at night to share warmth, food, and conversation, possibly even sparking storytelling, language, and cultural beliefs. Dr. Rob Davis, British Museum archaeologist and study co-author, notes that "The campfire becomes a social hub... We're a species who have used fire to really shape the world around us – and now we know this is something Neanderthals were doing far earlier than we thought, just like us."
This remarkable discovery highlights the innovative skills of our prehistoric ancestors, challenging previous assumptions about their abilities. The find supports the notion that Neanderthals and their close relatives, such as the Denisovans, shared key survival skills long before the emergence of modern-day humans.
The evidence at Barnham suggests repeated fire use at temperatures above 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit), pointing to deliberate fire-starting rather than reliance on natural flames. A team spent four years testing the materials to confirm the hearth's age and human origin, ultimately revealing a significant chapter in human history that was previously unknown or underestimated.
This groundbreaking discovery has far-reaching implications for our understanding of human evolution and the role of fire in shaping our societies. It serves as a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our ancient ancestors, who likely played a pivotal role in transforming the course of human history.
Located near the village of Barnham, the site features a hearth made by Neanderthals that has yielded a wealth of information about their lives and abilities. Researchers discovered heated clay, flint tools shattered by intense heat, and two pieces of iron pyrite – a mineral that sparks when struck against flint to ignite tinder.
According to Dr. Nick Ashton, curator of Palaeolithic Collections at the British Museum in London, "We think humans brought pyrite to the site with the intention of making fire. And this has huge implications, pushing back the earliest fire-making."
This finding sheds new light on the evolution of human societies and their relationship with fire. Controlled flames allowed ancient hunter-gatherers to thrive in colder environments, cook food, and protect themselves from predators, ultimately leading to the growth of larger brains and more complex social structures.
The campfire is believed to have served as a social hub, bringing people together at night to share warmth, food, and conversation, possibly even sparking storytelling, language, and cultural beliefs. Dr. Rob Davis, British Museum archaeologist and study co-author, notes that "The campfire becomes a social hub... We're a species who have used fire to really shape the world around us – and now we know this is something Neanderthals were doing far earlier than we thought, just like us."
This remarkable discovery highlights the innovative skills of our prehistoric ancestors, challenging previous assumptions about their abilities. The find supports the notion that Neanderthals and their close relatives, such as the Denisovans, shared key survival skills long before the emergence of modern-day humans.
The evidence at Barnham suggests repeated fire use at temperatures above 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 degrees Fahrenheit), pointing to deliberate fire-starting rather than reliance on natural flames. A team spent four years testing the materials to confirm the hearth's age and human origin, ultimately revealing a significant chapter in human history that was previously unknown or underestimated.
This groundbreaking discovery has far-reaching implications for our understanding of human evolution and the role of fire in shaping our societies. It serves as a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our ancient ancestors, who likely played a pivotal role in transforming the course of human history.
. its wild how much info they got from just a hearth 
and all these flint tools and heated clay stuff too. i mean, campfires as social hubs? thats deep 
. but also thinkin about how this changes our understanding of human evolution and stuff, its like... wow 
. the fact that it wasnt just us who were using fire for like survival and cooking and all that, but our ancient relatives too, is pretty cool 
OMG this is so cool!!! 415,000 years old 
can you even imagine how amazing it must've been for those Neanderthals to be using fire like that?! It's mind-blowing to think about all the things they could've done with controlled flames - cooking food, staying warm, scaring away predators... and now we know they were basically our ancient cousins who shared some of these same skills! 
The campfire as a social hub is such a beautiful concept 
I can totally see how that would bring people together and spark storytelling and language... let's just imagine the epic tales those Neanderthals must've shared around the fire 
i'm literally blown away by this discovery!!! 415k yrs old is like, whoa 
from how people lived to how their brains developed, it's mind-blowing! the fact that they used pyrite to make sparks is so cool 
. And can you imagine the campfires at night? Like, storytelling and language, all sparked by a tiny piece of iron pyrite 
. This discovery is like, totally changing the game on human history 
!
. The stats on the hearth are insane too - 700 degrees Celsius is like whoa! 
. I mean, think of the language, storytelling, cultural beliefs... all sparked by the campfire 
. It makes me wonder what other secrets are waiting to be uncovered in our ancient past 
I'm literally blown away by this discovery! So we're talkin' 415k years ago, that's like, before even Homo heidelbergensis was a thing 
. Did they learn from each other or was it a solo thing? And what about the Denisovans, were they just along for the ride 
.
. If Neanderthals were using fire just like us, that means they were sharing some pretty key survival skills. And who knows, maybe we learned more from them than we think? 
and the fact that it's pushing back our timeline for controlled fire use by a huge amount means we can re-examine all these ancient human societies and their relationships with fire 
the more i read about this discovery the more i'm convinced that fire was like a key element in human evolution 
