A groundbreaking discovery in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave has shifted our understanding of when early humans first used fire. Researchers have found burned mammal bones dating back approximately 1.79 million years, extending the timeline of controlled fire use by around 800,000 years. This suggests that Homo erectus, an ancestor of modern humans, was harnessing fire much earlier than previously believed.
The evidence was uncovered within fossilised owl pellets, where numerous small bones showed signs of exposure to flames. This indicates that early humans likely transported fire into the cave, using the pellets as kindling to sustain their flames. While this does not confirm that they were cooking or had sophisticated fire-making skills, it highlights a significant relationship between early humans and their environment.
The implications of this discovery are profound, as it provides insight into how fire may have influenced human evolution and social development. The ability to control fire could have played a crucial role in survival, offering warmth, protection, and a means to cook food, which may have impacted diet and health.
As researchers continue to study these findings, they emphasize that this momentous shift in understanding could reshape our view of early human behaviour and their adaptation strategies. The study, published in PLOS One, marks a pivotal point in the exploration of our ancestors’ relationship with fire and its transformative effects on human history.
Source: GB News
