In a 400,000-year-old hearth, hints of humans taming fire earlier than thought

Daily Mail

Humans discovered fire-making in Britain! Flint tools found in Suffolk reveal our ancient ancestors created their own flames 400,000 years ago

The Washington Times

Study finds humans were making fire 400,000 years ago, far earlier than once thought

Scientific American

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

GB News

Earliest proof of cavemen making fire dating back 400,000 years unearthed in Suffolk

The Daily Telegraph

‘Most exciting discovery’: Earliest evidence of humans making fire 400,000 years ago discovered in UK

Al Jazeera

Oldest evidence of deliberate fire use found in England

BBC News

The moment the earliest known man-made fire was uncovered

Guardian

Humans made fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought, discovery in Suffolk suggests

Archaeologists find earliest known fire made by humans

Natural History Museum

Earliest fire-making dating back 400,000 years unearthed in Suffolk, England

Nature

Earliest evidence of making fire

Financial Times

People made fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought, scientists find 

New Scientist

Oldest evidence of fire-lighting comes from early humans in Britain

Metaculus

When will a Neanderthal be born again?

At Barnham in Suffolk, England, researchers have identified the earliest known evidence of deliberate fire-making, dating to about 400,000 years ago, pushing the timeline back by more than 350,000 years from a 50,000-year-old site in northern France, which had previously been considered the earliest.

At Barnham in Suffolk, England, researchers have identified the earliest known evidence of deliberate fire-making, dating to about 400,000 years ago, pushing the timeline back by more than 350,000 years from a 50,000-year-old site in northern France, which had previously been considered the earliest.

According to their research published in Nature on Wednesday, evidence includes a reddened hearth and flint hand axes fractured by intense heat. Geochemical tests indicate repeated burning at elevated temperatures exceeding 700 °C, consistent with a constructed fire at the exact location over time.

According to their research published in Nature on Wednesday, evidence includes a reddened hearth and flint hand axes fractured by intense heat. Geochemical tests indicate repeated burning at elevated temperatures exceeding 700 °C, consistent with a constructed fire at the exact location over time.

Two small pyrite fragments were recovered with the hearth; the mineral is not naturally present locally, and when struck against flint, it produces sparks to ignite tinder, indicating the inhabitants could start fires rather than rely on natural flames.

Two small pyrite fragments were recovered with the hearth; the mineral is not naturally present locally, and when struck against flint, it produces sparks to ignite tinder, indicating the inhabitants could start fires rather than rely on natural flames.

Based on fossils of similar age from nearby sites such as Swanscombe in Kent, researchers conclude the Barnham fire-makers were most likely early Neanderthals. However, no hominin remains were found directly at the hearth at the 400,000-year-old site.

Based on fossils of similar age from nearby sites such as Swanscombe in Kent, researchers conclude the Barnham fire-makers were most likely early Neanderthals. However, no hominin remains were found directly at the hearth at the 400,000-year-old site.

The project, led by British Museum researchers, has excavated Barnham for years and reported the work in Nature, detailing a constructed hearth, heat-shattered tools and analyses that distinguish deliberate fires from natural blazes after extensive testing.

The project, led by British Museum researchers, has excavated Barnham for years and reported the work in Nature, detailing a constructed hearth, heat-shattered tools and analyses that distinguish deliberate fires from natural blazes after extensive testing.

Researchers say the ability to create and control fire enabled ancient populations to keep warm, deter predators, cook food and gather socially, supporting survival in colder climates and allowing occupation of more northerly environments over time.

Researchers say the ability to create and control fire enabled ancient populations to keep warm, deter predators, cook food and gather socially, supporting survival in colder climates and allowing occupation of more northerly environments over time.

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At Barnham in Suffolk, researchers identified the earliest known evidence of deliberate fire-making about 400,000 years ago, pushing the timeline back by more than 350,000 years from a 50,000-year site in northern France, previously considered the first.

At Barnham in Suffolk, researchers identified the earliest known evidence of deliberate fire-making about 400,000 years ago, pushing the timeline back by more than 350,000 years from a 50,000-year site in northern France, previously considered the first.

Evidence at the site includes a reddened hearth and flint hand axes fractured by intense heat, with geochemical tests indicating repeated burning at focused temperatures exceeding 700C, consistent with a constructed fire on the same spot over time.

Evidence at the site includes a reddened hearth and flint hand axes fractured by intense heat, with geochemical tests indicating repeated burning at focused temperatures exceeding 700C, consistent with a constructed fire on the same spot over time.

Two small pyrite fragments were recovered with the hearth; the mineral is not naturally present locally and when struck against flint produces sparks to ignite tinder, indicating the inhabitants could start fires rather than rely on natural flames.

Two small pyrite fragments were recovered with the hearth; the mineral is not naturally present locally and when struck against flint produces sparks to ignite tinder, indicating the inhabitants could start fires rather than rely on natural flames.

Based on fossils of similar age from nearby sites such as Swanscombe in Kent, researchers conclude the Barnham fire-makers were most likely early Neanderthals, though no hominin remains were found directly at the hearth at the 400,000-year-old site.

Based on fossils of similar age from nearby sites such as Swanscombe in Kent, researchers conclude the Barnham fire-makers were most likely early Neanderthals, though no hominin remains were found directly at the hearth at the 400,000-year-old site.

The project, led by British Museum archaeologists, has excavated Barnham for years and reported the work in Nature, detailing a constructed hearth, heat-shattered tools and analyses that distinguish deliberate fires from natural blazes after extensive testing.

The project, led by British Museum archaeologists, has excavated Barnham for years and reported the work in Nature, detailing a constructed hearth, heat-shattered tools and analyses that distinguish deliberate fires from natural blazes after extensive testing.

The discovery of 400,000-year-old fire-making evidence in Suffolk represents the most remarkable breakthrough in understanding human evolution, proving Neanderthals possessed sophisticated knowledge of flint and pyrite properties far earlier than imagined. This ability to create and control fire freed humans from dependence on natural fires, enabling them to choose campsites, process wider food varieties and fuel brain development that fundamentally transformed survival and social bonding.

The discovery of 400,000-year-old fire-making evidence in Suffolk represents the most remarkable breakthrough in understanding human evolution, proving Neanderthals possessed sophisticated knowledge of flint and pyrite properties far earlier than imagined. This ability to create and control fire freed humans from dependence on natural fires, enabling them to choose campsites, process wider food varieties and fuel brain development that fundamentally transformed survival and social bonding.

The Suffolk fire claim stretches circumstantial evidence beyond what the data supports, lacking the smoking gun of wear traces on flint tools that definitively prove fire-making at later Neanderthal sites. Fire-making developed through scattered fits and starts across multiple groups who discovered, lost and rediscovered the ability over time rather than representing any singular evolutionary breakthrough.

The Suffolk fire claim stretches circumstantial evidence beyond what the data supports, lacking the smoking gun of wear traces on flint tools that definitively prove fire-making at later Neanderthal sites. Fire-making developed through scattered fits and starts across multiple groups who discovered, lost and rediscovered the ability over time rather than representing any singular evolutionary breakthrough.

400,000-year-old Suffolk hearth shows deliberate fire-making

Archaeology & anthropology

Science & technology

United Kingdom

This is the most remarkable breakthrough in understanding human evolution, proving that Neanderthals possessed sophisticated knowledge of the properties of flint and pyrite far earlier than previously imagined. This ability to create and control fire freed humans from dependence on natural fires, enabling them to choose campsites, process a wider variety of foods, and fuel brain development that fundamentally transformed survival and social bonding.

This is the most remarkable breakthrough in understanding human evolution, proving that Neanderthals possessed sophisticated knowledge of the properties of flint and pyrite far earlier than previously imagined. This ability to create and control fire freed humans from dependence on natural fires, enabling them to choose campsites, process a wider variety of foods, and fuel brain development that fundamentally transformed survival and social bonding.

The Suffolk fire claim stretches circumstantial evidence beyond what the data supports, lacking the smoking gun of wear traces on flint tools that definitively prove fire-making at later Neanderthal sites. Fire-making developed through scattered fits and starts across multiple groups, who discovered, lost, and rediscovered the ability over time rather than signifying a singular evolutionary breakthrough.

The Suffolk fire claim stretches circumstantial evidence beyond what the data supports, lacking the smoking gun of wear traces on flint tools that definitively prove fire-making at later Neanderthal sites. Fire-making developed through scattered fits and starts across multiple groups, who discovered, lost, and rediscovered the ability over time rather than signifying a singular evolutionary breakthrough.

400,000-year-old Suffolk hearth shows deliberate fire-making

400,000-year-old Suffolk hearth shows deliberate fire-making

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400,000-year-old Suffolk hearth shows deliberate fire-making

400,000-year-old Suffolk hearth shows deliberate fire-making

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