The discovery of fire-making materials at a 400,000-year-old site in eastern Britain is the oldest evidence of humans making fire. Fragments of iron pyrite, a rock that can be used with flint to make sparks, were found by a 400,000-year-old hearth. This finding suggests that early humans were making fire more than 350,000 years earlier than previously known. The site is unique because the raw materials for making fire were found alongside fire-cracked flint handaxes in what appears to be a hearth. A geological review found that pyrite is incredibly rare in the area, indicating that early humans brought it to the site with the intention of using it to start fires. The ability to make fire is considered one of the most important discoveries in human history, allowing early humans to ward off predators, get more nutrients from food, and settle inhospitable climates. It also provided intense socialization time after dusk, which played a critical role in the development of language, storytelling, and early belief systems. The discovery raises questions about the spread of fire-making knowledge among early human groups, suggesting a complex story of many fits and starts over many millennia.
