Flint tools, scorched soil and two pieces of spark-producing pyrite suggest humans were deliberately making fire in Britain 400,000 years ago - far earlier than firm evidence had previously shown
Archaeologists in Suffolk, England, have discovered evidence of fire-making dating back 400,000 years. The findings, including heat-fractured flint and pyrite fragments, suggest early humans possessed fire-starting technology much earlier than previously confirmed.
Why it matters
This discovery significantly pushes back the timeline of human technological evolution and mastery over the environment.
At a former clay pit in Suffolk, archaeologists found a small patch of ancient ground that had been heated repeatedly above 700°C.
By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process
At a former clay pit in Suffolk, archaeologists found a small patch of ancient ground that had been heated repeatedly above 700°C. Heat-fractured flint handaxes lay nearby, along with two fragments of iron pyrite, a mineral that throws sparks when struck against flint.
Together, the finds provide what researchers describe as the earliest known evidence that humans could ignite fire for themselves. The buried surface at Barnham is about 400,000 years old, pushing firm archaeological evidence for fire-making back roughly 350,000 years.
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