Recent discoveries in South Africa are challenging long-held beliefs about the timeline of human evolution, particularly concerning the control of fire.
In Wonderwerk Cave, researchers have uncovered burned mammal bones dating back as far as 1.79 million years. This finding suggests that Homo erectus, an early human species, may have mastered fire control far earlier than previously understood. The previous oldest evidence of fire use, also found in Wonderwerk Cave, consisted of a one-million-year-old burned bone fragment, plant ash, and charred tools. The newly identified burned bones were discovered within fossilized owl pellets, which researchers believe Homo erectus may have used as fuel to maintain fires deep within the cave.
Controlling fire is considered a pivotal moment in human evolution, influencing brain development, transforming the human body, and providing essential warmth, light, and protection. The study, published in PLOS One, utilized a novel technique called bone luminescence. This method involves shining high-energy blue light onto ancient bones; those exposed to fire will glow red under a special filter, allowing scientists to detect burning without damaging the fossils. This was verified with a separate laboratory technique.
The age of the sediment in the cave was determined using two dating methods: analyzing the magnetic signature within rocks and measuring how long the material had been shielded from cosmic radiation. The results indicate repeated fire use dating back to approximately 1.79 million years ago, establishing one of the earliest known records of controlled fire globally. While this evidence does not confirm regular cooking or advanced fire-making technology, it strongly suggests that early humans repeatedly brought and maintained flames inside the cave, offering a rare glimpse into this transformative period.
Separately, in Israel, excavations at a cave near Fureidis have unearthed artifacts dating to approximately 300,000 years ago. This site, preserved since the Acheulo-Yabrudian period, has yielded stone tools, animal bones, and traces of fire. Researchers believe the inhabitants may have belonged to an archaic human population ancestral to later Neanderthals and modern humans, potentially representing a transitional phase in human development. The sophisticated stone tools, evidence of hunting, and signs of controlled fire suggest behaviors that would later characterize Neanderthal and Homo sapiens societies. The site's roof collapse preserved its contents, offering insights into a poorly documented chapter of prehistory. Among the findings are side scrapers and finely crafted handaxes, indicating advanced toolmaking and likely organized group hunting. Evidence of butchered animal remains, including deer, gazelles, and wild cattle, further supports the inhabitants' hunting prowess and social complexity.
These discoveries, from both South Africa and Israel, are contributing to a revised understanding of early human behavior, technological advancements, and the evolutionary timeline of our ancestors. The South African findings, in particular, push back the documented use of fire by nearly 800,000 years, suggesting a more rapid development of key survival skills than previously believed.
