"The hearth was discovered in Barnham in the UK, near a buried site that was once a pond where Neanderthals are thought to have lived roughly 415,000 years ago. The authors wrote that the site seems to provide "unequivocal evidence of deliberate fire-making" that "has remained elusive" because of the difficulties in distinguishing between naturally occurring fires being used by prehistoric humans and controlled fires being created on demand."
"At an old clay pit for making bricks near the village of Barnham, the researchers found a patch of heated clay, some heat-shattered handaxes and two pieces of iron pyrite. This material creates sparks when struck against flint to ignite tinder, and is also not readily available in the vicinity, suggesting the Neanderthals brought it to the watering hole specifically for the purpose."
A hearth was uncovered at Barnham in Suffolk near a former pond where Neanderthals lived roughly 415,000 years ago. The site contains a patch of heated clay, heat-shattered handaxes and two pieces of iron pyrite. Iron pyrite produces sparks when struck against flint to ignite tinder and is not naturally available in the local area. The presence of pyrite and heat-altered materials indicates that hominins brought fire-lighting materials to the site and maintained repeated fires there. Evidence points to deliberate fire-making rather than opportunistic use of natural fires. The find pushes back the timeline for intentional fire production among early humans.
Read at www.dw.com
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