Photo by Nuh Isa Nada El Carillo via Pexels
Man's ancestors learned to use fire as early as 1.7 million years ago — much sooner than previously known, according to a new study.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm#6D62C496CD 92G6 F?4@G6C65 6G:56?46 E92E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ae^_c^_f^DEF5J\7:?5D\62C=J\9F>2?D\BF2CC:65\DE@?6\a_____\J62CD\28@^Qm62C=J 9F>2?Dk^2m H6C6 FD:?8 7:C6 :? (@?56CH6C< r2G6 :? $@FE9 p7C:42 36EH66? `]_f 2?5 `]fh >:==:@? J62CD 28@]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmqJ 2AA=J:?8 2 ?6H >6E9@5 E92E 56E64ED EC246D @7 3FC?:?8 :? 7@DD:= 3@?6D[ D4:6?E:DED 7@F?5 D:8?D @7 QC6A62E65Q 7:C6 FD6 566A :?D:56 E96 42G6[ 72C 36J@?5 E96 C6249 @7 ?2EFC2= H:=57:C6D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96:C 7:?5:?8D[ AF3=:D965 :? E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^;@FC?2=D]A=@D]@C8^A=@D@?6^Qm;@FC?2= !{~$ ~?6k^2m[ DF886DE E92E 62C=J 9F>2?D H6C6 3C:?8:?8 ?2EFC2==J @44FCC:?8 7:C6 :?E@ E96 42G6 2?5 >2:?E2:?:?8 :E E96C6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 5:D4@G6CJ AC@G:56D ?6H :?D:89ED :?E@ 9@H @FC 2?46DE@CD 7:CDE 3682? E@ 92C?6DD @?6 @7 E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E@@=D :? 9F>2? 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 DEF5J H2D A2CE @7 2? @?8@:?8 4@==23@C2E:@? 36EH66? {:@C2 z@=D<2 w@CH:EK[ 4@\5:C64E@C @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^H@?56CH6C<42G6D]4@>^Qm(@?56CH6C< r2G6 AC@;64Ek^2m[ 2?5 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= E62> @7 C6D62C496CD]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 ?6H C6D62C49 4@>3:?6D >6E9@5D 7C@> 2C4926@=@8J[ A2=6@?E@=@8J[ 86@=@8J 2?5 2 C2?86 @7 D4:6?E:7:4 E649?:BF6D E@ :?G6DE:82E6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_aa^_c^aa^C6D62C49\C6G62=D\9@H\>2?D\2?46DE@CD\4C62E65\2CE\FD:?8\7:C6^Qm62C=J FD6 @7 7:C6k^2m]k^Am
(Wonderwerk Cave Project via SWNS)
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 DEF5J 3F:=5D @? E96 AC6G:@FD 5:D4@G6CJ @7 62C=J 7:C6 2E (@?56CH6C< r2G6[ =@42E65 :? E96 z2=292C: s6D6CE[ E92E H2D 52E65 E@ 2C@F?5 ` >:==:@? J62CD 28@[ AC@G:5:?8 E96 @=56DE 6G:56?46 7@C :?E6?E:@?2= FD6 @7 7:C6 H@C=5H:56]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmr@?E:?F:?8 C6D62C49 2E (@?56CH6C< r2G6 92D ?@H AFD965 E96 52E6 7@C 62C=J 7:C6 324< 7FCE96C[ H:E9 ?6H 6G:56?46 7@C EC246D @7 7:C6 FD6 :? 2C4926@=@8:42= 56A@D:ED 52E:?8 36EH66? `]_f 2?5 `]fh >:==:@? J62CD 28@[ 6IE6?5:?8 E96 49C@?@=@8J @7 @?6 @7 E96 62C=:6DE <?@H? C64@C5D @7 7:C6 FD6 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 9@>:?:?D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 C6D62C496CD D2J 7:C6 AC@G:565 H2C>E9[ AC@E64E:@? 7C@> AC652E@CD[ 2?5 =:89E 27E6C DF?D6E[ 2?5 6G6?EF2==J 6?23=65 4@@<:?8]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmqFE 56E6C>:?:?8 6I24E=J H96? 9F>2?D 7:CDE 3682? FD:?8 7:C6 92D C6>2:?65 @?6 @7 2C4926@=@8JVD >@DE 492==6?8:?8 BF6DE:@?D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw@CH:EK D2:5i QtG:56?46 @7 7:C6 7C@> DF49 2?4:6?E D:E6D :D @7E6? DF3E=6 2?5 5:77:4F=E E@ 56E64E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQ~FC DEF5J AC@G:56D ?6H E@@=D 7@C :56?E:7J:?8 EC246D @7 2?4:6?E 3FC?:?8 2?5 C6G62=D E92E 7:C6 H2D C6A62E65=J AC6D6?E 566A :?D:56 (@?56CH6C< r2G6]Qk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 DEF5J 2=D@ :?EC@5F465 2 ?6H >6E9@5 32D65 @? E96 =:89E\6>:EE:?8 AC@A6CE:6D @7 3FC?65 3@?6]k^Am
(Wonderwerk Cave Project via SWNS)
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm(96? :==F>:?2E65 H:E9 DA64:7:4 H2G6=6?8E9D @7 =:89E[ 3@?6D E92E 92G6 366? 6IA@D65 E@ :?E6?D6 962E 6>:E 2 5:DE:?4E:G6 8=@H]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmqJ 4@>3:?:?8 E96 ?@?\56DECF4E:G6 =F>:?6D46?46 E649?:BF6 H:E9 6DE23=:D965 496>:42= 2?2=JD:D[ E96 C6D62C496CD H6C6 23=6 E@ :56?E:7J 3FC?65 2?:>2= 3@?6D H:E9 2 9:89 568C66 @7 4@?7:56?46]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw@CH:EK D2:5i Q%96 >6E9@5 :D ?@?\:?G2D:G6[ A@CE23=6[ 2?5 42? 36 2AA=:65 E@ =2C86 4@==64E:@?D @7 7@DD:=D H:E9@FE 52>28:?8 E96>]Qk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 ?6H C6D62C49 2AA=:65 E96 >6E9@5 E@ 6I2>:?6 EC246D @7 3FC?:?8 @? 9F?5C65D @7 E:?J 7@DD:= 3@?6D =67E 369:?5 3J @H=D E92E @?46 C@@DE65 :? E96 42G6]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmq642FD6 E96 C6>2:?D 244F>F=2E65 ?2EFC2==J @? E96 42G6 7=@@C[ E96 C6D62C496CD 6IA=2:?65 E92E E96J AC@G:56 2? :?56A6?56?E[ ?@?\2?E9C@A@86?:4 C64@C5 @7 2?4:6?E 6G6?ED]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 E62> 7@F?5 Q4=62C D:8?DQ @7 3FC?:?8 :? 2? 2C4926@=@8:42= =2J6C 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 2CE:724ED 7C@> E96 :?:E:2= p496F=62?[ =:<6=J 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 w@>@ 6C64EFD]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 3FC?65 C6>2:?D H6C6 5:D4@G6C65 2C@F?5 b_ >6E6CD W`__ 766EX :?D:56 E96 42G6 — 72C 36J@?5 E96 C6249 @7 ?2EFC2= H:=57:C6D[ 2?5 :? 2 =2J6C =24<:?8 C6>2:?D @7 8F2?@ H9:49 CF=6D @FE DA@?E2?6@FD 4@>3FDE:@?]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmqFE w@CH:EK D2:5 E96 7:?5:?8D 5@ ?@E :?5:42E6 E92E 62C=J 9F>2?D 4@F=5 4C62E6 7:C6 2E H:==]k^Am
(Wonderwerk Cave Project via SWNS)
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmx? 255:E:@?[ D96 D2:5 E96 6G:56?46 A@:?ED E@ E96 FD6 @7 ?2EFC2==J @44FCC:?8 7:C6D[ DF49 2D E9@D6 DA2C<65 3J =:89E?:?8 @C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E2=<6C]?6HD^a_ad^_f^b_^D2EE6==:E6\C6G62=D\H92E\H:=57:C6D\:?\A@CEF82=\=@@<\=:<6\7C@>\DA246^QmH:=57:C6Dk^2m @? E96 p7C:42? D2G2??2]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw@CH:EK D2:5i Q%96 62C=J 9F>2?D :?EC@5F465 E9:D 7:C6 :?E@ E96 42G6 @? >F=E:A=6 @442D:@?D 2?5 >2:?E2:?65 :E E96C6 367@C6 :E 6G6?EF2==J 5:65 @FE]Qk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 E62> DF886DED E92E E96J >2J 92G6 FD65 E96 @H= A6==6ED 2D 7F6=[ C6DF=E:?8 :? 3FC?:?8 @7 E96 E:?J 3@?6D @7 C@56?ED E92E H6C6 :? E96 A6==6ED]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmqFE w@CH:EK D2:5 3C:?8:?8 7:C6 :?E@ 2 42G6 2?5 >2:?E2:?:?8 :E C6AC6D6?ED 2 QD:8?:7:42?EQ 3692G:@C2= 249:6G6>6?E]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$96 25565i Q%96D6 5:D4@G6C:6D D9@H E92E 62C=J 9F>2?D H6C6 ?@E D:>A=J A2DD:G6 @3D6CG6CD @7 ?2EFC2= 7:C6D]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmQ%96J H6C6 24E:G6=J 6?828:?8 H:E9 7:C6 2?5 :?4@CA@C2E:?8 :E :?E@ E96:C =:G6D]Qk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmpC4926@=@8:DED 92G6 AC6G:@FD=J 7@F?5 ?@E @?=J EC246D @7 7:C6 FD286[ 3FE 2=D@ E96 @=56DE =:<6=J 6G:56?46 7@C 4@@<:?8 @7 7@@5 :? E96 v@=2? w6:89ED 52E:?8 E@ 2C@F?5 fg_[___ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 @=56DE 567:?:E:G6 6G:56?46 7@C :8?:E:?8 2 7:C6 52E6D E@ 2C@F?5 c__[___ J62CD 28@ 2E 2 D:E6 :? q2C?92>[ $F77@=<]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.