Study debates when pre-humans used fire
Source: Agencies |
March 16, 2011, Wednesday
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A NEW study is raising questions about when ancient human ancestors in Europe learned to control fire, one of the most important steps on the long path to civilization.
A review of 141 archaeological sites across Europe shows habitual use of fire beginning between 300,000 and 400,000 years ago, according to a paper in yesterday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Most archeologists agree that the use of fire is tied to colonization outside Africa, especially in Europe where temperatures fall below freezing, wrote Wil Roebroeks of Leiden University in the Netherlands and Paola Villa of the University of Colorado.
Yet, while there is evidence of early humans living in Europe as much as a million years ago, the researchers found no clear traces of regular use of fire before about 400,000 years ago.
After that, Neanderthals and modern humans living in Europe regularly used fire for warmth, cooking and light, they found.
"The pattern emerging is a clear as well as a surprising one," they said, considering these ancient people were living in the cold European climate.
Their results raise the question of how early humans survived cold climates without fire.
The researchers suggested that a highly active lifestyle and a high-protein diet may have helped them adapt to the cold, adding that the consumption of both raw meat and seafood by hunter-gatherers is very well documented.
Before that period, there is a single site in Israel with earlier evidence of regular fire use, the researchers noted, and there are also sites in Africa indicating sporadic use of fire.
A review of 141 archaeological sites across Europe shows habitual use of fire beginning between 300,000 and 400,000 years ago, according to a paper in yesterday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Most archeologists agree that the use of fire is tied to colonization outside Africa, especially in Europe where temperatures fall below freezing, wrote Wil Roebroeks of Leiden University in the Netherlands and Paola Villa of the University of Colorado.
Yet, while there is evidence of early humans living in Europe as much as a million years ago, the researchers found no clear traces of regular use of fire before about 400,000 years ago.
After that, Neanderthals and modern humans living in Europe regularly used fire for warmth, cooking and light, they found.
"The pattern emerging is a clear as well as a surprising one," they said, considering these ancient people were living in the cold European climate.
Their results raise the question of how early humans survived cold climates without fire.
The researchers suggested that a highly active lifestyle and a high-protein diet may have helped them adapt to the cold, adding that the consumption of both raw meat and seafood by hunter-gatherers is very well documented.
Before that period, there is a single site in Israel with earlier evidence of regular fire use, the researchers noted, and there are also sites in Africa indicating sporadic use of fire.
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