British scientists have discovered that ancient humans may have learned to make fire much earlier than previously thought, after finding evidence of intentional combustion that occurred in eastern England approximately 400,000 years ago.
According to a study published in the journal Naturethis discovery advances the oldest known date for the controlled creation of fire by about 350,000 years. Until now, the oldest confirmed evidence came from Neanderthal sites in northern France dating back about 50,000 years.
The discovery took place at Barnham, a Palaeolithic site in Suffolk that has been excavated for decades. A team led by the British Museum identified an area of baked clay, flint hand axes fractured by intense heat and two pieces of iron pyrite, a mineral that produces sparks when struck against flint.
For four years, researchers conducted exhaustive studies to rule out natural fires. Geochemical analyzes revealed that temperatures exceeded 700 degrees Celsius (1,292 Fahrenheit) and showed evidence of repeated burning at the same point.
This pattern, experts explain, coincides with that of an intentionally built home and not with a fire caused by lightning.
Rob Davis, a paleolithic archaeologist at the British Museum, said the combination of high temperatures, evidence of controlled burning and pyrite fragments demonstrates “how they were actually making the fire and the fact that they were making it.”
The presence of iron pyrite, which does not occur naturally at Barnham, indicates that its inhabitants collected it deliberately, as they understood its properties and knew how to use it to light tinder.
Evidence of intentionally set fire is rarely preserved, as ash tends to disperse, charcoal degrades, and heat-altered sediments erode over time.
At Barnham, however, the burnt deposits were protected within the sediments of ancient ponds, allowing us to reconstruct how early human communities used the site.
The researchers highlight that the repercussions for the understanding of human evolution are profound.
The use of fire allowed ancient populations to survive in cold climates, scare away predators, and cook food. The cooking process removes toxins from roots and tubers and destroys pathogens in the meat, improving digestion and releasing more energy to support larger brains.
Chris Stringer, an expert in human evolution at the Natural History Museum, said fossils found in Britain and Spain suggest that Barnham’s people were early Neanderthals, whose cranial features and DNA reflect increasing progress in cognitive and technological abilities.
The fire also transformed social life. Nightly gatherings around a campfire offered opportunities for planning, storytelling, and strengthening bonds within the group, behaviors associated with the emergence of language and more organized forms of society.
According to archaeologists, the Barnham site fits into a broader pattern in Britain and continental Europe, between 500,000 and 400,000 years ago, when the brain size of early humans was beginning to approach that of modern humans and signs of more complex behavior were becoming more evident.
Nick Ashton, curator of paleolithic collections at the British Museum, called the find “the most exciting discovery of my long 40-year career.”
For the archaeological community, this discovery helps answer an age-old question: when did humans stop depending on lightning and natural fires and instead learn to generate fire when and where they needed it.
With information from agencies.
Follow information about business and current affairs in Forbes Mexico
Do you like to get informed through Google News? Follow our Showcase to have the best stories
