Homo erectus used fire 1.8 million years ago

Homo erectus made use of fire long before he could ignite it himself. Spanish researchers have discovered remains of fire sites that are dated to an age of 1.8 million years – significantly older than previous assumptions.

The scientists used a non-invasive analysis method based on luminescence to examine the fire sites. The result shows: Homo erectus manipulated flames between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago, although he did not yet possess the ability to ignite fire. It was "opportunistic" behaviour – the ancestors used natural fires, triggered for example by lightning strikes, and learned to control and maintain these flames.

Fire as a turning point for humanity

One of these moments probably occurred during a thunderstorm in present-day South Africa: Lightning strikes, fire is created, and suddenly a new world opens up for the ancestors. The flames provided warmth, protection from predators and enabled new possibilities for food preparation.

The ability to use fire repeatedly and deliberately marks a turning point in human development. This advance is considered one of the most significant breakthroughs of our species – not because humans could create fire, but because they learned to use it to their advantage. The new findings shift this milestone hundreds of thousands of years further back in time and show how early our ancestors already developed complex behaviours.