Researchers suggest that early human ancestors, specifically Homo erectus, date back approximately 1.79 million years, coinciding with the intentional use of fire in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave.
Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa. Image credit: Michael Chazan.
Wonderwerk Cave is situated 60 km south of Kulman in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province.
This significant site has revealed a fossil and archaeological record that spans nearly two million years of human habitation.
“The mastery of fire significantly impacts the evolutionary dynamics of Homo species, altering their relationship with both natural and cultural environments,” stated Dr. Liora Korska-Horwitz from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her colleagues.
“While the pace of innovation in hominin fire technology remains debated, evidence suggests that early humans could obtain fire from seasonal wildfires and transport it back to their habitats for survival,” they noted.
“The ability to generate and control fire only emerged much later in human development.”
Current research indicates that the most compelling evidence for early fire usage stems from the Acheulean artifacts found within Wonderwerk Cave.
Previous studies have suggested that fire was utilized in the cave around one million years ago.
However, Dr. Korska-Horwitz and her co-authors conducted a thorough examination of the cave’s stratigraphic layers, discovering charred animal bones that date between 1.07 and 1.79 million years old.
It appears that Homo erectus were not merely passive bystanders to natural wildfires nor advanced fire creators, but rather engaged in a more nuanced interaction with fire.
The findings suggest early humans captured fire from wilderness wildfires, brought it into their caves, and maintained it until it extinguished.
“Detecting evidence of fire from such ancient sites poses unique challenges,” explained Dr. Korska-Horwitz.
“Our research introduces innovative methodologies for uncovering ancient fire signatures, revealing consistent fire presence deep within Wonderwerk Cave.”
Central to the study is a novel analytical technique developed to identify combustion traces in fossilized bones.
“When subjected to specific light wavelengths, bones exposed to high temperatures emit a distinctive luminescence,” the researchers clarified.
“By merging this non-invasive luminescence technique with established chemical analyses, we successfully identified charred animal remains.”
The strong correlation between burnt bones and Acheulean stone tools, coupled with the absence of sediment transport that might explain their presence, underscores the likelihood of intentional human fire usage.
“Our findings reveal that early humans were not mere bystanders to natural fires,” emphasized Dr. Korska-Horwitz.
“They actively engaged with fire and integrated it into their daily lives.”
These findings were published in a 2026 study in the online journal PLoS ONE.
_____
MD Marine Monfort et al. 2026. New evidence of early Pleistocene fire use at Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa). PLoS One 21 (6): e0347480; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347480
Source: www.sci.news
