Microstratigraphic evidence of in situ fire in the Acheulean strata of Wonderwerk Cave, Northern Cape province, South Africa

Abstract

The ability to control fire was a crucial turning point in human evolution, but the question when hominins first developed this ability still remains. Here we show that micromorphological and Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (mFTIR) analyses of intact sediments at the site of Wonderwerk Cave, Northern Cape province, South Africa, provide unambiguous evidence-in the form of burned bone and ashed plant remains-that burning took place in the cave during the early Acheulean occupation, approximately 1.0 Ma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the earliest secure evidence for burning in an archaeological context. micromorphology | cooking hypothesis | Homo erectus

The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel

“…Some key points attesting to significant anthropogenic-derived changes in the prehistoric and historic periods of the world have been noted, amongst them are: earliest intentional utilization of fire ~1.0 million years ago (Berna et al, 2012); extinction of mega-fauna (animals weighing 44 kg and more) at the end of the Pleistocene epoch (ca. 16,000 years ago); domestication of plants and animals, with the earliest onset in the Near East placed at ~12,000 years ago (e.g., Vigne, 2011;Zohary et al, 2012;Smith & Zeder, 2013), or perhaps, even as early as 23,000 years ago for plants (Snir et al, 2015); development of anthropogenic soils ~2,000 years ago, (Certini & Scalenghe, 2011).…”

Were Western European Neandertals Able to Make Fire?

“…Documenting the first of these in the hominin line is likely to be impossible, and while there is suggested evidence that the origin of human fire use extends back to more than 1 Ma (Gowlett and Wrangham 2013;Hlubik et al 2017;Rowlett 2000;Berna et al 2012;Barbetti 1986; and see Sandgathe and Berna 2017), there is little doubt that the regular use and maintenance of fire by hominins is present in Middle Paleolithic and Middle Stone Age contexts and later (Roebroeks and Villa 2011;Barkai et al 2017;Shimelmitz et al 2014;Aldeias et al 2014;Dibble et al 2009Dibble et al , 2017Goldberg et al 2012;Rodríguez-Cintas and Cabanes 2017;Mallol et al 2013;Miller 2015;Courty et al 2012;Pasto et al 2000;Vallverdú et al 2012;Pop et al 2016;Vidal-Matutano 2016). At some point, hominins also developed the technology for starting fires, which is the question being addressed here.…”

How comparative psychology can shed light on human evolution: Response to Beran et al.’s discussion of “Cognitive capacities for cooking in chimpanzees”

“…Previous work has examined this question from the perspective of archaeological or fossil evidence. Yet, the archaeological record for hearths and burned material is fragile and may degrade, so there are disagreements concerning earliest evidence for the control of fire (e.g., Berna et al, 2012;Gowlett & Wrangham, 2013;Roebroeks & Villa, 2011). Moreover, fire can also be used for warmth, light, and protection (Bellomo, 1994;Burton, 2009), so even strong evidence for fire control might not necessarily reflect the emergence of cooking.…”