An archaeological study in England pushes back the deliberate use of fire by hominins by more than a quarter of a million years, with findings that include pyrite and heat-affected tools.
A new study published in the journal Nature reveals that Neanderthals, or their close ancestors, were already deliberately making fire about 400,000 years ago at a site in England. This discovery significantly pushes back the known date of fire control by homininss.
Archaeologists found heat-altered sediments, deformed flint axes, and fragments of iron pyrite at the East Farm site near Barnham, which could have been used to generate sparks. These elements together suggest that an ancient group repeatedly ignited fires in the same location.
Nick Ashton, an archaeologist at the British Museum and the lead author of the study, highlighted that in over 36 years of excavations, they had never found pyrite in the area until it appeared alongside the fire-affected tools.
The site, discovered over a century ago, was used as a clay pit, and systematic excavations began in 2013. It is believed that at that time, Britain was connected to the European continent by a land bridge called Doggerland.
1 - Fragment of iron pyrite at East Farm. 2 - Fragment of an axe broken by the heat used to strike pyrite and light firewood.
The Scientific Evidence of Fire Control
The researchers analyzed changes in the geomagnetism of the sediments, which indicate repeated fires, and used infrared spectroscopy to confirm that the materials were heated to high temperatures. Additionally, they detected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, compounds typical of wood burning.
Iron pyrite, known as "fool's gold," produces sparks when struck against flint. These fragments were found at shallow depths, and there is no natural geological evidence of their presence on the surface of the area, suggesting that hominins transported them.
The findings strengthen the idea that Neanderthals independently mastered fire before the arrival of modern humans in Europe. Although it cannot be completely ruled out that they belonged to Homo heidelbergensis, the evidence points towards intentional and habitual use.
Experts like Andrew Sorensen from Leiden University and Ségolène Vandevelde from the University of Quebec agreed that the combination of scientific methods makes the case compelling. Vandevelde noted that if this technique existed 400,000 years ago, its mastery likely dates back even further.
The East Farm site, near Barnham, in Suffolk
The Impact of Fire Control on Human Evolution
The mastery of fire represented a key turning point in human history. It provided protection against predators, light and warmth in cold climates, and the cooking of food, which may have influenced biological and social evolution.
It was previously thought that hominins took advantage of natural fires and only later learned to ignite them. The oldest evidence of fire capture dates back over a million years with Homo erectus, but deliberate ignition was a mystery until now.
This finding at East Farm changes the perspective and suggests that Neanderthals already had this capability much earlier than estimated, independently of Homo sapiens.
Fire also played a role in beliefs and customs, allowing human groups to expand into more hostile regions. Researchers emphasize that these advances laid the groundwork for later developments such as agriculture and metallurgy.
