The World’s Oldest Campfire

Some of our ancient relatives may have been using fire for at least a million years, and probably longer.

When scientists used microscope analysis to study plant ash and charred bone fragments from the famous Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, they discovered that the remains were about a million years old. They also concluded that the materials were burned inside the cave rather than being carried there by wind or water. The debris was found alongside stone tools, suggesting that humans had built the fire.

Some scientists believe that early man’s use of fire may have influenced human evolution. At the very least, fires helped humans stay warm, kept predators at bay, and might have facilitated the development of communication when early people gathered around the campfires. Fire also allowed people to cook their food, which made it more digestible.

Previous to the Wonderwerk find, the earliest evidence for human use of fire only dated back to about 700,000 years ago, so this new discovery has caused a bit of a sensation.

For more information about this discovery and possible implications, go here