DISCOVERY OF FIRE: HISTORY AND DATES, CONSEQUENCES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The d escubrimiento of the fire was one of the most important milestones in the history of mankind. Thanks to this element, man was able to warm up, have a defense against predators, change his way of feeding and, of course, illuminate the dark nights.

When dating this discovery, a distinction must be made between the moment when man's ancestors began to use it and, later, when they learned to turn it on themselves. The range offered by experts is quite wide, ranging from 1,600,000 years to 700,000 years.

By Nathan McCord, US Marine Corps, via Wikimedia Commons

The species that began to use fire was Homo erectus, which achieved significant survival advantages over direct competitors. It is assumed that, in the beginning, they took advantage of the occasions when the fire was produced by natural causes, such as lightning in a storm.

One of the most important effects of the discovery of fire was the increase in intelligence. Thanks to being able to cook the meat, it could be more easily ingested. The amount of nutrients grew and, therefore, the brain was increasing in capacities.

History and approximate dates

Today it is difficult to imagine a life without fire; its importance is such that its discovery is considered the most important in the history of mankind.

In fact, given its relationship with the later evolution of the species, it is likely that without this element the human being would never have become as it is today.

One of the ancestors of the human being, Homo erectus, was the species that began to use it. Research indicates that it was already used 1,600,000 years ago, although it took about 800,000 years to master it.

Who discovered the fire?

As previously noted, the species responsible for the discovery of fire was Homo erectus; it is a hominid directly related to Homo sapiens. The oldest remains of this species date back 1 million years, while the most modern are 10,000 years ago.

This hominin was robust and quite tall. Analyzing their bones, it has been concluded that there were individuals that reached 1.80 meters in height. He walked on both legs, in an erect position (which gives him his name). This gave it advantages over other species that did it on all four limbs.

Having free hands allowed him to carry objects and provide better food. It is assumed that they were collectors, although they soon began to take advantage of the remains of dead animals. In the end, they also became hunters; in this way, meat was one of the most important elements in their diet.

When was the fire discovered?

It may never be possible to establish the time when the fire was discovered. The only dates indicated by the experts are given by the analysis of remains found in ancient settlements.

Similarly, it is possible that the discovery was not made in one place. It is more likely that fire began to be used in several areas at the same time and taking advantage of different circumstances.

The most accepted theory is that, at first, Homo erectus took advantage of natural phenomena to get fire. Studies state that this happened about 1,600,000 years ago. It is noted that its first uses were taking advantage of fires caused by lightning storms or by the eruptions of a volcano.

Despite being already aware of its virtues and using it assiduously, the man's ancestor still did not know how to turn it on.

The domain of fire

The last relevant finding on this matter was made by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Along the Jordan River they found various settlements and analyzed the fossils found there.

According to the results, there was evidence of the use of fire. In addition, the analyzes pointed out that it was an intentional use, with knowledge of how to cause it. Archaeologists pointed out that they dated to about 800,000 years ago.

What is difficult is knowing what methods they used to light the fire. The best known hypotheses are that they did it by rubbing wood against a log or hitting two rocks until it caused a spark.

Fire transport

Another very important aspect in those years was how to carry fire from one place to another. First, when they did not know how to turn it on, it was essential to transport it, since the necessary circumstances to achieve it did not always appear. Later, although they learned how to turn it on, it was not very easy either.

The way to get it from one place to another was supposed to be by using lighted torches. Since they were nomads, when they arrived at a new settlement they used these torches to light a new bonfire.

Consequences

The importance of the discovery of fire covered a whole series of aspects that changed the history of humanity forever. Among these, it granted independence over nature, which contributed to migrations from Africa to Europe and, from there, to the rest of the planet.

Knowing how to handle fire, Homo erectus stopped having to worry about the weather, darkness and other natural aspects, and began to dominate his own destiny.

Protection

One of the uses of fire was as protection. Bonfires around the settlements kept predators away. In addition, it allowed them to make basic tools.

Light and heat

Fire offered Homo erectus an effective way of providing light and warmth. Before that, these hominids only went out during the day, spending the night resting in their settlements. Thanks to the fire, they were able to lengthen the day and make it more profitable.

Similarly, the heat it provided greatly improved their living conditions. They were able to protect themselves from the low winter temperatures or migrate to colder places without fear.

Change in diet

One of the great differences with the animal world had fire as its protagonist: cooking food. The implications of this step were very important for the development of the species. First, the food they could consume multiplied and, in addition, they were preserved for a longer time after being treated with fire.

On the other hand, cooking favored the digestion of meat and vegetables. Experts note that life expectancy doubled simply because of this.

Another great consequence was the increase in calories thanks to this cooking process. The hominid metabolism accelerated and the nervous system greatly improved its functioning. This produced a huge development in the brain, which needs 20% of all the energy we acquire from food.

Health

Over time, the ancestors of Homo sapiens learned to put fire to other uses. Some of these served to improve health, such as sterilization of wounds.

Finally, by cooking certain herbs it can be said that they created the first medicines; as an example, boiling the bark of the willow tree produced a substance with the active principle of aspirin.

References

1. Curious History of Andalusia. Who discovered fire. Obtained from historiadeandalucia.com
2. Vazquez, Lucia. Man discovered fire 790,000 years ago. Retrieved from vix.com
3. Peña, Alejandro. How was the fire discovered? Obtained from okdiario.com
4. Gowlett, JAJ The discovery of fire by humans: a long and convoluted process. Retrieved from rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org
5. Raman, Varadaraja. The Discovery of Fire. Retrieved from metanexus.net
6. Adler, Jerry. Why Fire Makes Us Human. Retrieved from smithsonianmag.com
7. Berezow, Alex. How And When Did Humans Discover Fire ?. Retrieved from acsh.org