Earliest Fire Starters

Fire has probably been one of Homo Sapien's biggest and most useful discoveries. Of course we did not invent it, but we did learn to harness it after we stumbled up the heat making chemical reaction. It was used in a variety of ways, from heating and cooking, to protection from animals and forging weapons and tools. Interestingly, it may have saved humans from an extinction event that ended some 123 000 years ago, that caused extreme cold. (Known as -Marine Isotope Stage 6) It is thought that our early ancestor's population fell from thousands to hundreds, and those, living in Southern Africa, are responsible for the overpopulation today. (Okay. My Joke)

Back to the use of Fire: The oldest loose signs that may have associated humans with fire go back some 1,5 million years ago. However, due the open settings, eg grasslands, these could well be associated with wild, natural occurring fires and less with humans. Up until this point, all evidence of habitual fire use, was dated at around 400 000 years ago, the credit going to early humans and their now extinct cousins, neanderthals.

A new discovery has shattered that and places our habitual fire use at around 1 millions years ago. This evidence was discovered by researchers who were excavating the Wonderwerk Caves in Northern Cape, South Africa. Francesco Berna Pictured below), of Boston University, says to the best if his, and his team's knowledge, this is the earliest burning in an archaeological context.

The accidental finding came when the research team extracted blocks of sediment from 30 meters into the cave, which contained tools made in the Acheulean tradition. This period is thought to have begun with our early forefathers, Homo Erectus. (The first humans who stood up, and not..never mind)

When studying this sediment under a microscope, they discovered overwhelming evidence of plant material, burnt to ash and numerous burned bone fragments. Further study of these items, revealed that they were heated to temperatures around 500 degrees Celsius. It also appears that they used leaves and grasses to fuel their fires and not wood. It is also thought that there is strong evidence from the remains, that there is proof of repeated combustion as opposed to a one off event. This finding also suggests there is evidence that they were the first chefs who cooked their food.

A thought to ponder though, is how come we have not discovered many such sites. Surely it could not have been isolated to one area. And as early humans infected the world, surely this discovery was taken along with them. Perhaps the evidence will still be found of fire use from then all the way until now. Or maybe there is another surprise discovery or two that fire was harnessed earlier than that. This is the problem with unearthing things- the theories or proof, is only as good as the last finding.