Early humans were bringing fire into caves 1.8 million years ago
New archaeological evidence from South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave suggests that early human ancestors were intentionally using fire between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago. This discovery significantly pushes back the timeline for the earliest known hominin fire use.
Why it matters
This finding fundamentally alters our understanding of human evolution and the timeline of when early ancestors developed the cognitive ability to harness natural elements.
Scientists have uncovered new evidence that early human ancestors were using fire in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago. The discovery pushes back one of the earliest known records of fire use linked to hominins and offers fresh clues about how our ancestors first learned to harness fire.
The content is a factual summary of archaeological research published in a scientific journal.
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