Image Credit: Jordan Mansfield/Pathways to Ancient Britain Project

Earliest Fire Making Evidence Found in England

Archaeologists in Suffolk, eastern England, have uncovered what may be the world’s earliest clear evidence of deliberate fire-making — dating back more than 400,000 years. The discovery, made at the Paleolithic site of Barnham, suggests that early Neanderthals in Britain mastered fire far earlier than scholars previously believed.
The findings, published in Nature, include burnt sediments, heat-shattered stone tools, and, most importantly, flecks of pyrite — a mineral that produces sparks when struck against flint. Because pyrite does not naturally occur in the Barnham area, researchers say it must have been intentionally brought to the site as a fire-starting tool.
“This is the most exciting discovery in my 40-year career,” said Nick Ashton of the British Museum. The team’s analysis shows that one area of the site contains reddened clay repeatedly exposed to high temperatures, likely representing an ancient hearth used over time.
Barnham was a small watering hole more than 415,000 years ago and appears to have been visited by early Neanderthal groups, based on comparisons with nearby sites of the same age. Although no bones survived at Barnham, Neanderthal fossils from the same period found at Swanscombe strongly suggest these hominins were the fire-makers.
Until now, the earliest secure evidence of Neanderthals making fire dated to about 50,000 years ago — meaning the Barnham discovery pushes the timeline back by at least 350,000 years. The ability to produce fire on demand, rather than relying on natural wildfires, would have dramatically changed hominin life, aiding cooking, protection, toolmaking, warmth, and social interaction.
Researchers say the find reshapes our understanding of Neanderthal cognition. “Neanderthals are fully human,” said Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum. “Their brains were as large as ours, and they adapted to new environments with complex behaviors.”
The discovery also raises broader questions: Did all Neanderthals make fire, or only certain groups? Did fire-making emerge multiple times? And how did these developments compare with early Homo sapiens in Africa, where evidence for such early fire control is still lacking?
For now, Barnham offers an unprecedented glimpse into a pivotal technological breakthrough — one that may have allowed early Neanderthals to expand northward into cooler regions, lighting their way with sparks of flint and pyrite.

Published on: 10-12-2025

Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie

Source: Live Science