JERUSALEM, June 15 (Xinhua) -- An international team of researchers has uncovered evidence that early human ancestors were using fire much earlier than previously confirmed, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement on Monday.
The discovery, described in PLOS One, was made at Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, where scientists found traces of fire use dating back between 1.07 million and 1.79 million years.
Earlier research at the cave had identified evidence of fire dating back about one million years. The new study pushes that timeline back significantly, making it one of the oldest known records of fire use by human ancestors.
To make the discovery, the researchers used a new technique that detects signs of burning in ancient bones. Bones exposed to high temperatures emit a distinctive glow under certain types of light, allowing scientists to identify burned remains without damaging them.
The burned bones were found about 30 meters inside the cave, far beyond the reach of natural wildfires.
The researchers believe early humans brought naturally occurring fire, likely started by lightning or wildfires, into the cave and kept it burning for some time.
They concluded that early humans were actively using and managing fire long before they learned how to create it themselves. ■
