Study sheds new light on how early cave-dwelling humans learnt to control fire

New research suggests Paleolithic people 170,000 years ago worked out how to position a hearth to maximise warmth but minimise exposure to smoke, reports Emily Atkinson

Tuesday 01 February 2022 07:52 GMT
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A new study has uncovered how cave-dwelling humans learnt to control fire to evade overexposure to smoke up to 170,000 years ago.

According to researchers in prehistoric archaeology at Tel Aviv University (TAU), early humans placed the hearth at the optimal location in their cave. The positioning would allow them to maximise warmth - to work, cook, eat and sleep - while minimising exposure to smoke.

Researchers said this method reflected Paleolithic “ingenuity, experience, and planned action, as well as awareness of the health damage caused by smoke exposure.

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