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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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.

The Suffolk discovery represents the earliest known evidence of fire making at 400,000 years old, pushing back previous records by 350,000 years and marking a critical turning point in human evolution. This ability freed humans from dependence on natural fires, enabled cooking that fueled brain development and created social hubs for language and storytelling. The heated clay, fire-cracked tools and rare iron pyrite fragments provide exceptional preservation that definitively demonstrates deliberate fire creation rather than wildfire.

The Suffolk discovery represents the earliest known evidence of fire making at 400,000 years old, pushing back previous records by 350,000 years and marking a critical turning point in human evolution. This ability freed humans from dependence on natural fires, enabled cooking that fueled brain development and created social hubs for language and storytelling. The heated clay, fire-cracked tools and rare iron pyrite fragments provide exceptional preservation that definitively demonstrates deliberate fire creation rather than wildfire.

The evidence remains largely circumstantial without the smoking gun of wear marks on flint tools that would definitively prove fire-making. Fire development was not linear but scattered across time and geography, with groups repeatedly discovering and losing the ability. Modern hunter-gatherer studies show some groups lacked fire-making skills entirely, suggesting this single site cannot establish widespread human capability at that time.

The evidence remains largely circumstantial without the smoking gun of wear marks on flint tools that would definitively prove fire-making. Fire development was not linear but scattered across time and geography, with groups repeatedly discovering and losing the ability. Modern hunter-gatherer studies show some groups lacked fire-making skills entirely, suggesting this single site cannot establish widespread human capability at that time.

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.

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.

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.

There's a 50% chance that a Neanderthal will be born again after 2099, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 50% chance that a Neanderthal will be born again after 2099, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Earliest Evidence of Human Fire-Making Discovered in England

400,000-year-oldEarliest SuffolkEvidence hearthof showsHuman deliberateFire-Making fire-makingDiscovered in England

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