Evidence of controlled fire-making in Britain has been unearthed, pushing back the timeline by nearly 350,000 years. This groundbreaking discovery was made in a field in Suffolk and has left archaeologists and experts stunned.
The finding suggests that early Neanderthals were responsible for creating fire around 400,000 years ago, well before the arrival of modern humans in Britain. It is now believed that these early Neanderthals had mastered the art of starting fires, not just accidentally stumbling upon natural flames.
The discovery was made at a disused clay pit, where stone tools had previously been found. The site was revisited as part of a larger project to explore pathways to ancient Britain, and it is here that researchers uncovered evidence of controlled fire use.
One of the key pieces of evidence was the presence of iron pyrite, a naturally occurring mineral that creates sparks when struck against flint. This find has been confirmed by geochemical tests, which showed that a patch of reddened clay had been heated to temperatures exceeding 700C (1,292F) with repeated fire use.
According to experts, this evidence strongly suggests that early Neanderthals were creating campfires or hearths at the site, using these controlled fires for warmth, light, and protection from predators. These controlled fires would have also allowed them to process a wider range of foods and support better survival rates in harsher climates.
The discovery is believed to be significant because it pushes back our understanding of the emergence of language, social interactions, and storytelling among early humans. It highlights the importance of fire-making as a pivotal moment in human history, providing warmth, light, protection, and allowing for more complex social behaviors.
While there is still some debate about whether this was truly controlled by early Neanderthals or simply opportunistic use of wild fires, the evidence points towards a deliberate and intentional creation of fire at this site. This new timeline also raises questions about how our own species may have acquired this knowledge, with researchers speculating that it could date back further to around 2014.
As one expert noted, "It's taken many years to get to the point where we are today," highlighting the slow and incremental pace of human innovation over time.
The finding suggests that early Neanderthals were responsible for creating fire around 400,000 years ago, well before the arrival of modern humans in Britain. It is now believed that these early Neanderthals had mastered the art of starting fires, not just accidentally stumbling upon natural flames.
The discovery was made at a disused clay pit, where stone tools had previously been found. The site was revisited as part of a larger project to explore pathways to ancient Britain, and it is here that researchers uncovered evidence of controlled fire use.
One of the key pieces of evidence was the presence of iron pyrite, a naturally occurring mineral that creates sparks when struck against flint. This find has been confirmed by geochemical tests, which showed that a patch of reddened clay had been heated to temperatures exceeding 700C (1,292F) with repeated fire use.
According to experts, this evidence strongly suggests that early Neanderthals were creating campfires or hearths at the site, using these controlled fires for warmth, light, and protection from predators. These controlled fires would have also allowed them to process a wider range of foods and support better survival rates in harsher climates.
The discovery is believed to be significant because it pushes back our understanding of the emergence of language, social interactions, and storytelling among early humans. It highlights the importance of fire-making as a pivotal moment in human history, providing warmth, light, protection, and allowing for more complex social behaviors.
While there is still some debate about whether this was truly controlled by early Neanderthals or simply opportunistic use of wild fires, the evidence points towards a deliberate and intentional creation of fire at this site. This new timeline also raises questions about how our own species may have acquired this knowledge, with researchers speculating that it could date back further to around 2014.
As one expert noted, "It's taken many years to get to the point where we are today," highlighting the slow and incremental pace of human innovation over time.
I mean, who knew that early Neanderthals were capable of creating fire? It's like, totally awesome that they figured out how to do it around 400,000 years ago... wait, no, actually, that's not true, because if they did, then wouldn't we know about it by now and wouldn't the timeline be way earlier than 350,000 years ago? 
Ahh, the uncertainty is giving me life!
And we're assuming these Neanderthals were like super intelligent and stuff just because they figured out fire 
. It makes sense though, controlled fires would've been a game changer for survival and social stuff. And it's crazy to think about how much time has passed since then, all the way back to 2014 when our species might've figured it out 
. Can you imagine being an archaeologist back then, like "oh yeah, we already knew fire was a thing"? 
. I think this finding highlights just how crucial fire-making has been in shaping human history 
. I'm also intrigued by the potential implications of this discovery on our understanding of language emergence and social interactions 
.