Humans have been able to use fire to perform behaviors different from those of other animals. Humanity has been walking with fire, but since when did fire start to be used, and since when does evidence of fire, rather than evidence of fire from forest fires, exist?
As for the evidence that mankind is related to fire, the oldest ones are found 1.5 million years ago. Among the fossils found in Swartkrans, a cave in South Africa where many monkey fossils have been discovered, human and animal bones were found along with animal bones dating from 1.5 million to 1 million years ago. It is considered to be the oldest evidence of
However, since human remains and burnt bones were found in the same ruins, it is not clear whether this was the same period, and mankind may have been controlling fire. Evidence that humans intentionally created fires and managed the range and temperature of fires, rather than using naturally occurring forest fires, is also important.
The oldest evidence of human use of fire was discovered at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov (GBY), a 790,000-year-old site located in Israel. It was confirmed that carbonized plants and baked stoneware were lined up here. In Israel, there are other caves such as the Kesem Cave, where evidence was found from 420,000 years ago to 200,000 years ago, and the Exploration Cave, where evidence was discovered 340,000 years ago. Evidence of mankind’s use of fire remains on both sides. While this evidence suggests that humans are managing fire, it is difficult to establish a link between motives for preparing fires in fuel procurement and why they were managing fires.
What has been proven in a research paper published on May 18, 2023 is that this kind of humanity was managing fire with clear intentions. The research team conducted an investigation at Valdocarros II, a Spanish site believed to have existed 250,000 years ago, and found evidence that human ancestors controlled and used fire. This puts the oldest evidence of human fire management in Europe dating back 50,000 years to existing evidence.
Investigations revealed that lipid biomarkers found in rotting pine trees indicated that these pine trees were used as fuel. In addition, the presence of a molecule called polyaromatic hydrocarbon, which is generated from incomplete combustion, supports the evidence, and analysis of this suggests that the pine tree found in Baldocaros 2 was burned in a relatively short time at a low temperature around 350 degrees.
If it’s a higher temperature, you can guess that it’s warm instead of a campfire, but it’s hard to think that it was warming at a temperature of 350 degrees. Since high-temperature bonfires are not suitable for cooking, it is speculated that pine trees were used to keep the temperature low and used for cooking.
The evidence found by the research team is not the oldest reported globally, nor does it represent the first human being to manage fire, but it is full of multiple evidence that indicates that fire was managed, and is interpreted as an important indicator for thinking about human evolution. Related information this placecan be found in
