In African cave, Israeli and international scientists find signs of earliest use of fire
Israeli and international scientists discovered burnt fossil bones deep within Wonderwerk Cave. The evidence suggests early humans brought and maintained fire. This discovery pushes the timeline for intentional fire use back up to 1.8 million years ago.
What changed
The updated timeline for fire use now extends up to 1.8 million years ago.
Live updates
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Early fire use evidence found in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave
confidence 70%Israeli and international scientists discovered burnt fossil bones deep within Wonderwerk Cave. The evidence suggests early humans brought and maintained fire. This discovery pushes the timeline for intentional fire use back up to 1.8 million years ago.
Still unconfirmed:
- Early humans used fire deep inside caves up to 1.8 million years ago.
- Burnt fossil bones in Wonderwerk Cave suggest early humans brought and maintained fire between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago.
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Early Human Fire Use Pushed Back to 1.79 Million Years Ago
confidence 100%Israeli and international scientists found evidence of fire use in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave. Researchers detected burnt fossil bones deep inside the cave, suggesting early humans brought and maintained fire. The findings extend the timeline for intentional fire use back to between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago.
What's confirmed:
- Researchers found evidence of fire use in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago.
- The discovery utilized a new method to detect traces of burning in fossil bones.
- Signs of repeated fire use were found deep inside the cave, beyond the reach of natural wildfires.
- The study was conducted by Israeli and international scientists.
Still unconfirmed:
- The discovery could change the timeline of human history.
- Early humans used fire to stay warm, ward off predators, and cook food.