Early Humans Were Using Fire in Caves 1.8 Million Years Ago, Study Finds
A new study published in Science Daily has uncovered evidence that early humans were using fire inside caves approximately 1.79 million years ago. Researchers analyzing sediments at Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa found burned bones located deep within the cave system, a finding that is significant because natural wildfires cannot reach such interior spaces.
The discovery suggests that early human ancestors were actively carrying fire into caves and maintaining it there, indicating a level of behavioral sophistication that researchers had not previously associated with such ancient human species. This evidence pushes back the established timeline for when humans began using fire in controlled settings.
Previously, many scientists believed that the controlled use of fire by early humans became common around 400,000 to 300,000 years ago. The new findings from Wonderwerk Cave challenge this assumption, showing that our ancestors were engaging with fire in complex ways nearly two million years ago.
The study highlights that these early humans were not necessarily creating fire on demand at this time, but were instead transporting and preserving embers from natural sources. This represents a significant cognitive and behavioral milestone in human evolution, as managing fire requires understanding its properties and maintaining it over time.