First Human Fire Was Made Almost 800,000 Years Ago

A recent discovery indicates that early humans have first known the principles of fire-making 790 millennia ago, when mastering this skill allowed them protection against wild animals, and also ensured light and warmth in their sturdy hearths. This superiority made them boldly explore and expand the territorial dominance, eventually culminating in a massive migration from Africa to the European lands.

 

The strands of the Jordan river in Israel have preserved the remains of ancient human-built fires, which have been recently unearthed by the scientists at the local Hebrew University. After a thorough examination of the flints discovered at the archaeological site, they learned that ancient civilizations gained control over fire and could carry or transfer it by means of lit branches, by following natural examples (such as lightning, for instance). However, the exact process of an early human's starting a fire still remains a mystery.

 

According to archaeologist Nira Alperson-Afil, “The new data shows there was a continued, controlled use of fire through many civilizations and that they were not dependent on natural fires.” In spite of the uncertainties related to the precise technique, due to the lack of any tool linked to the fire starting process (such as a lighter or a rudimentary match), the evidence provided by the discovery of patterns of burnt flint in the same spot for a span of 12 civilizations still proves that humans somehow made fire. How they actually managed to do so still remains to be established.

 

“Once they mastered fire to protect themselves from predators and provide warmth and light, they were secure enough to move into and populate unfamiliar territor[ies],” added Alperson-Afil. The positioning of the archaeological site that provided clues for the early humans' fire-making abilities also shed some light on the way humans changed their location. Since it is well known that the Jordan Valley was an important point on the main route that linked the African continent to the European one, this fact could also indicate that the region was used by those civilizations for migration purposes.