Groundbreaking Discovery: Neanderthals Might Have Mastered Fire 270,000 Years Ago!
2024-12-24
Author: Daniel
A crucial cave in southeastern France, known as Orgnac 3, has revealed what could be the oldest direct evidence of controlled fire use by ancient hominids in Europe. Although it remains uncertain whether it was Neanderthals or their ancestors who sparked these early campfires, this discovery hints that our lineage successfully learned to ignite and control flames as far back as 270,000 years ago.
In a study currently undergoing peer review, researchers highlight the challenges in tracing fire use in our distant past. While evidence suggests that fire has been utilized at human sites for about 1.6 million years, pinpointing when we first learned to control such a powerful element continues to puzzle anthropologists.
The Orgnac 3 cave was inhabited during the Early and Middle Stone Age, long before Homo sapiens settled in Europe. Intrigued by the cave's potential, researchers identified numerous hearths within the structure. Notably, the discovery of a sooty speleothem—a mineral formation that indicates fire presence—has sparked excitement about the implications of controlled fire use in prehistoric times.
Employing a modern dating technique known as fuliginochronology, the researchers mapped the history of fire use at the site, uncovering that between 23 to 27 separate fires were lit over the span of about a thousand years, supporting the theory that Neanderthals or their direct ancestors, Homo heidelbergensis, may have frequented the cave for warmth and cooking.
Although fires didn't appear to be lit on a daily basis, the frequency of these flames suggests that hominids were returning to the site every few decades. Additionally, the deep location of these fires within the cave indicates potential human involvement as opposed to natural causes like lightning.
Previously, the oldest evidence of sustained, controlled fire use had been traced to a cave in Spain, with hearths dated to around 245,000 years ago. If the conclusions of this new study are validated, it pushes back humanity’s mastery of fire by at least 25,000 years.
However, the researchers are cautious; while evidence leans towards controlled fires, it's still possible that these flames originated from naturally ignited fires elsewhere. Interestingly, 52% of the cave fires corresponded with wetter periods, suggesting that the likelihood of natural wildfires igniting in those conditions was low, further supporting the idea of intentional ignition.
The study's authors conclude, “Given the evidence of human activity, the environmental conditions, and the enclosed nature of the site, the most coherent hypothesis is that the soot traces in Orgnac 3 are indeed remnants of human-made fire.” This groundbreaking research strengthens the case for fire mastery among Mid-Pleistocene hominins and enhances our understanding of the cognitive and social development of early humans.
Stay tuned as the full study is set to make waves in the anthropological community!