The Dawn of Fire: When Did Early Humans First Discover Fire?

Long before the first campfire was lit, early humans may have started as fire foragers, observing naturally occurring blazes and harnessing them for their own needs.

By Sara Novak
Sep 21, 2023 2:00 PMSep 21, 2023 1:00 PM
Ancient human starting a fire
(Credit: bcoleto/Shutterstock)

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The ability to use fire forever changed the fate of the human race: For starters, it allowed our ancestors to cook foods, which made us much more efficient eaters. Instead of gnawing on nuts and berries all day, we could now cook animal meat, which packs much more of a caloric punch.

We also used fire to make more effective weapons and tools. But there’s a lot we don’t know about when humans first encountered fire and its transition into effective, everyday use. 

When Was Fire First Discovered?

Still, we do know that our evolutionary kin were exposed to fire — or at least aware of it — about two million years ago, well before the arrival of modern humans, says John Gowlett, an archeologist who specializes in human fire at the University of Liverpool. This was around the time of Homo erectus, the first hominin with modern human proportions.

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