British discovery shows humans made fire 350,000 earlier than thought

Described in Nature, the artefacts date to about 400,000 years ago and include scorched earth, fire-cracked flint handaxes, and two fragments of iron pyrite, a mineral that can produce sparks when struck with flint.

The presence of pyrite is significant as it is a mineral not commonly found in the area, suggesting that early humans carried it to the site deliberately. In later prehistoric periods, pyrite was used to ignite fires by striking it with flint to create sparks. Its presence at Barnham suggests that this technology may have emerged much earlier than previously thought, possibly from neanderthals that lived in the region at that time or another species of early humans.

Previous discoveries at sites in Africa indicate that humans had used natural fire over a million years ago, but the artefacts at Barnham suggest the creation and control of fire, which carries huge implications for human development and evolution. Until now, the oldest known evidence of fire making was from 50,000 years ago and was found in northern France.

Co-author, Simon Parfitt (UCL Institute of Archaeology) said: “This discovery gives us a rare window into a moment when early humans were not just using fire, but had begun to understand and control it. This discovery highlights the ingenuity and skill involved in mastering fire, a game-changing moment in human evolution.”

Controlled fire use offered evolutionary advantages including warmth, protection from predators, the ability to cook food, and a social hub where early humans likely gathered. Distinguishing natural wildfires from deliberate burning has long frustrated archaeologists.

However, at the Barnham site, the team discovered sediments with geochemical signals that indicated fires were repeatedly lit in the same spot, as well as imported pieces of pyrite and clusters of flint that also showed evidence of being exposed to heat. Together, the artefacts point to their combined use in creating and controlling fire.

This access to fire on demand would have allowed early humans to cook meat more reliably, thereby improving its digestibility and energy intake. This, researchers say, may have supported the expansion of the human brain.

Lead author Professor Nick Ashton (UCL Institute of Archaeology & the British Museum) said: “This is the most remarkable discovery of my career, and I’m very proud of the teamwork that it has taken to reach this groundbreaking conclusion. It’s incredible that some of the oldest groups of Neanderthals had the knowledge of the properties of flint, pyrite and tinder at such an early date.”

Co-author Dr Rob Davis, of the British Museum, said: “The implications are enormous. The ability to create and control fire is one of the most important turning points in human history with practical and social benefits that changed human evolution. This extraordinary discovery pushes this turning point back by some 350,000 years.”

The Pathways to Ancient Britain Project (PAB) is a collaboration between the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, Queen Mary University of London and UCL, and is funded by the Calleva Foundation. It has focused on three chronological periods of human presence in the British Isles, from the earliest occupation through to the extinction of the Neanderthals and the emergence of modern humans.

Links

• The paper in Nature
• Simon Parfitt's academic profile
• Dr Nick Ashton's academic profile
• UCL Institute of Archaeology
• UCL Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences

Image

• Archaeological excavations of the deeply-buried 400,000-year-old site at Barnham.
• Image credit: Pathways to Ancient Britain Project and Jordan Mansfield

Media Contact

Michael Lucibella

E: m.lucibella [at] ucl.ac.uk