Ancient Humans Were Making Fire 350,000 Years Earlier Than Scientists Realized

"But as early as 400,000 years ago, ancient hominins may have had the skills to conjure flame, according to groundbreaking new evidence of fire making that is 350,000 years older than scientists' previous earliest example. Investigators looking to understand our ancestors have long been interested in the technology surrounding fire that they possessed. Researchers argue that as ancient hominins developed the ability to control fire, they would have changed physicallydeveloping"

"In addition, it's challenging to distinguish whether ancient hominins were making fire themselves or capturing fire from natural lightning strikes and tending to it. Overall, scientists believe that some human ancestors in Africa may have been using fire as early as 1.5 million years ago but have fiercely debated whether hominins could have been making their own fire so far in the past. To date, the earliest evidence of hominins making fire has been much more recentfrom only 50,000 years ago."

New evidence indicates ancient hominins may have made fire as early as 400,000 years ago, extending the timeline for fire making by 350,000 years. Mastery of fire enabled cooking, which allowed easier food metabolism and favored physiological changes such as smaller stomachs and larger brains. Control of fire enabled more complex social interactions centered around hearths. Traces of fire use are rare because ash and charcoal are light and easily displaced, causing much evidence to disappear. Distinguishing deliberate fire making from the capture and maintenance of natural fires remains challenging. Fire use in Africa may date back as early as 1.5 million years, but firm evidence of intentional fire production has previously been placed at about 50,000 years ago.

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