Humans are believed to have started using fire around 1 million years ago, from natural sources such as lightning strikes or forest fires. It is believed that humans only learned to make their own fire 50,000 years ago. But this idea has been challenged by archaeological discoveries in Suffolk, England.
Researchers from University College London found fragments of the mineral pyrite and cracked patches of red flint showing clear evidence of repeated burning. Pyrite can be used to light a fire when fried with flint. The discovery shows that Neanderthals learned to make fire 400,000 years ago, 350,000 years earlier than originally thought.
The ability to make their own fire changed the lives of early humans. Humans were now able to live in cooler areas and spread their populations around the world. It was also used to ward off predators and to make more complex weapons and tools than ever before.
The study was published in the journal Nature.
