Scientists Unveil Evidence of Fire Use by Humans 400,000 Years Ago

The discovery of the earliest known evidence of human fire-making has been made in Barnham, Suffolk, pushing back the timeline of this critical development in human history by a staggering 350,000 years. Researchers from the British Museum have identified fire-cracked flint, hand axes, and heated sediments at a disused clay pit, dating these findings to over 400,000 years ago.

Significantly, the team unearthed two fragments of iron pyrite, a mineral known to create sparks, indicating the intentional transportation of materials for fire production. This discovery, located between Thetford and Bury St Edmunds, challenges previous assumptions that the earliest use of fire occurred around 50,000 years ago in northern France.

Groundbreaking Research Unfolds

After four years of meticulous study, scientists led by Dr. Rob Davis, Project Curator: Pathways to Ancient Britain at the British Museum, confirmed that the heated clay at the site was not the result of natural wildfires. Geochemical analyses revealed evidence of repeated fire use, characteristic of human activity rather than random occurrences in nature.

The implications of controlled fire use are substantial, revealing how it may have played a pivotal role in enhancing survival rates among early humans. The ability to keep warm and protect against predators would have been invaluable in harsh environments. Additionally, cooking food not only made it safer to eat but also expanded the variety of available nutrition, fostering social interaction around fire-lit spaces.

Professor Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum suggested that these fires were likely made by early Neanderthal populations, although their exact identity remains unconfirmed. He pointed out that this period coincided with an increase in brain size, crucial for the development of complex human behaviors.

Impact on Human Evolution

According to Professor Stringer, “There’s no doubt that our brains are energetically expensive. They use about 20 percent of our body energy, so having the use of fire will help release nutrition from food, which fuels the brain and supports the evolution of a larger brain.” He emphasized that while there is a significant gap of about 350,000 years until the next best evidence of fire use, it does not rule out earlier instances of fire-making.

The research suggests that the people at Barnham likely brought their fire-making skills from continental Europe, facilitated by a land bridge. Professor Stringer noted that a major cold stage around 450,000 years ago may have led to the extinction of early populations in Britain, necessitating repopulation.

“Having the use of fire would have assisted people moving into colder climates,” he explained. “It provides warmth, protection from wild animals, and enhanced nutritional access from food. This feedback loop could have stimulated brain growth and increased social interaction, possibly even contributing to the development of language.”

Describing the find as the “most exciting discovery of my 40-year career,” Professor Nick Ashton, Curator of Palaeolithic Collections at the British Museum, expressed the significance of this research. The findings are detailed in the paper titled “Earliest Evidence of Making Fire,” published in the journal Nature.

This groundbreaking research not only reshapes our understanding of human evolution but also underscores the importance of fire in early human life, revealing a crucial aspect of our development as a species.