Scientists shatter timeline of human fire-making with 400,000-year-old discovery in England
The results at Barnham, archaeologists say, are part of a wider pattern across Britain and continental Europe between 500,000 and 400,000 years ago, when early human brain size increased and more complex behaviors — like fire-making — began to emerge.
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For example, iron pyrite is not native to Barnham, which suggests that early humans deliberately collected it to start fires.
“[It’s] the most exciting discovery of my long 40-year career,” British Museum curator Nick Ashton told The Associated Press.
Fires helped early humans cook food, ward off predators and survive cold climates. (iStock)
The Barnham discovery joins a wave of remarkable prehistoric finds uncovered in 2025.
This spring, Texas officials found “colossal” megafauna bones while working on a planned state highway.
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More recently, Northern Irish schoolchildren recently came across prehistoric artifacts while searching for a long-lost castle.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/travel/scientists-shatter-timeline-human-fire-making-400000-year-old-discovery-england