Hominins living in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave utilized fire as early as 1.8 million years ago, according to a study published in the journal PLOS One. Researchers led by M. Dolores Marin-Monfort confirmed the presence of burned animal bones in the cave’s deepest archaeological layer, extending the known timeline of human fire usage by hundreds of thousands of years.
How did researchers identify fire use from nearly 2 million years ago?
The research team identified the ancient fire usage by analyzing burned bones found in Stratum 11 of the Wonderwerk Cave, a layer dating between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago. According to co-author Yolanda Fernández-Jalvo of the Natural Science Museum of Madrid, the team utilized a specialized luminescence technique that detects light emitted by bones when exposed to specific filters. This method allowed the scientists to confirm that the charring on small animal bones was the result of exposure to fire rather than natural degradation. This finding provides a significant update to the 2012 report, which previously identified million-year-old fire evidence in the shallower Stratum 10.
Archaeologists believe the earliest hominins likely did not know how to generate fire. Instead, they practiced “harvesting” burning vegetation—such as branches or grass ignited by lightning—and transported it into shelters to keep the flames alive.
Why would early humans bring fire into caves?
Early hominins may have used the cave environment to extend the life of naturally occurring fires, according to Liora Kolska Horwitz of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. While the exact intent remains a subject of debate, researchers suggest fire provided warmth, illumination, and protection from predators. Fernández-Jalvo proposes a unique hypothesis: the cave floors were covered in owl pellets—the indigestible remains of prey regurgitated by owls. These pellets contain flammable organic material that may have acted as a slow-release fuel source, allowing hominins to maintain small, controlled fires for longer periods than they could in open-air environments.
How does this discovery compare to other ancient fire sites?
The evidence at Wonderwerk Cave stands out due to its extreme age and its location in an enclosed space. While other sites like Koobi Fora in Kenya (1.5 million years ago) and Gesher Benot Ya’akov in Israel (800,000 years ago) show signs of early fire, open-air locations often make it difficult to distinguish between human agency and natural wildfires. According to Michael Chazan of the University of Toronto, the Wonderwerk evidence represents an “early stage of engagement” where humans began to interact with the natural fire cycles of the savanna. Unlike the later, more sophisticated hearths found at sites like Qesem Cave, the Wonderwerk fires appear to have been sporadic and ephemeral.
When evaluating archaeological claims of “hearths,” look for evidence of repeated, localized combustion. A single burned bone can be an accident, but consistent evidence of fire in the same location over millennia suggests intentional human management.
What are the future trends in studying early human fire use?
Future research will likely focus on the deepest level of the cave, Stratum 12, to see if the timeline of fire usage can be pushed back even further. Archaeologists are also refining forensic techniques to determine whether burned bones found at these sites were the result of intentional cooking or accidental contact with fire. As Michael Chazan notes, finding burned bones is only the first step; the broader goal is to understand how the adoption of fire energy fundamentally altered hominin evolution and social behavior. Researchers are also investigating whether different species, such as Homo erectus, were the primary “pyromaniacs” responsible for these early experiments with flame.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Did early humans at Wonderwerk cook their food?
It is not yet confirmed. While researchers assume cooking occurred, they currently lack evidence of “constructed combustion areas” or consistent fireplaces that would definitively prove intentional culinary preparation. - Who were the hominins living in the cave 1.8 million years ago?
No skeletal remains were found at the site. However, experts suspect Homo erectus, as they were active in South Africa during that timeframe and possessed the capacity for tool use and environmental adaptation. - Is the evidence for fire at Wonderwerk universally accepted?
The research team is 100 percent confident in their identification of burned bone using luminescence technology, though they remain cautious about interpreting these findings as evidence of “domesticated” fire.
Interested in the latest discoveries in human evolution? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates on archaeology and ancient history.
Worth a look