Before Humans Learned to Make Fire, They May Have Carried It: Study Reveals 1.7 Million-Year-Old Evidence Deep within South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave, researchers have uncovered evidence suggesting that early human ancestors may have interacted with fire as far back as 1.7
million years ago. This discovery, based on the analysis of burnt bone fragments, offers a glimpse into how fire may have been used long before it was fully mastered.
The study, published in *PLOS ONE*, builds on earlier findings that had already placed Wonderwerk Cave at the center of discussions about the origins of fire use.
Previous research had dated fire evidence at the site to around one million years ago, making it one of the oldest known examples of fire use by hominins. The new analysis, however, pushes the timeline even further back, to between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago.
The burnt material was found in layers associated with early Acheulean tools, typically linked to Homo erectus or its close relatives.
Significantly, the evidence was located about 30 meters inside the cave, far from the entrance where natural bushfires or sunlight could have reached. This suggests that the fire was not a result of external wildfires but was instead brought into the cave.
To determine the age and nature of the burnt fragments, researchers employed a novel luminescence technique. When exposed to specific wavelengths of light, bones that have been subjected to high temperatures emit a faint glow, revealing their history of exposure to heat.
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