Neanderthals lit first sparks of fire technology, study suggests

Archaeologists have uncovered what may be the earliest direct evidence of deliberate fire-making by humans, and it appears the innovation belonged not to modern humans, but to Neanderthals living in England more than 400,000 years ago.

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The discovery, made at a prehistoric site in Suffolk, eastern England, is being hailed by researchers as a landmark moment in the study of human evolution.

The findings, published this week in the journal Nature, are based on microscopic flecks of iron pyrite (commonly known as fool's gold) recovered from the archaeological site at Barnham. When struck against flint, pyrite produces sparks, making it a well-known fire-starting material in later prehistoric periods. Its presence at Barnham strongly suggests that early humans there were not merely using naturally occurring fires but actively creating them.

"We're a species that has used fire to shape the world around us," said study coauthor Rob Davis, a Paleolithic archaeologist at the British Museum, speaking at a news conference. The ability to make fire, he explained, would have accelerated key evolutionary developments, including larger brains, more complex social groups and the growth of language.