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Health & Science1h 42m ago

A new study has uncovered evidence that early human ancestors were using fire in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago, extending the chronology of one of the earliest known records of fire use associated with hominins.

Wonderwerk Cave, Kalahari Desert, South Africa

Who
Dr. Liora Kolska Horwitz, Prof Michael Chazan, and an international team of researchers
What
A new study has uncovered evidence that early human ancestors were using fire in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago, extending the chronology of one of the earliest known records of fire use associated with hominins.
When
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:52:00 GMT · 1h 42m ago
Where
Wonderwerk Cave, Kalahari Desert, South Africa ·
Why
Researchers used a new method to detect traces of burning in fossil bones, providing new insights into how our ancestors first began to harness fire.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This discovery significantly extends the timeline of early human fire use, suggesting our ancestors actively engaged with fire much earlier than previously thought, impacting their survival and evolution before they could create fire themselves.

Story chain

3 events in this thread
  1. Currently Reading1h 42m ago
    A new study has uncovered evidence that early human ancestors were using fire in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago, extending the chronology of one of the earliest known records of fire use associated with hominins.
  2. Health & Science1h 42m ago
    A new study has uncovered evidence that early human ancestors were using fire in South Africa's Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago.
    Open article
  3. Health & Science2h 11m ago
    An international team led in part by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has uncovered evidence suggesting that early human ancestors were using fire in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave between 1.07 million and 1.79 million years ago.
    Open article

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