* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Friday, June 27, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Susquehanna Raises Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN) Price Target. – Yahoo Finance

    Susquehanna Raises Price Target for Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN)

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

    Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    Wayve Expands Engineering Leadership to Power Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Technology – Silicon Canals

    Wayve Boosts Engineering Leadership to Accelerate Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Innovation

    Frontdoor Announces Tech Expert Dr. Bala Ganesh as Chief Technology Officer – Business Wire

    Frontdoor Appoints Tech Visionary Dr. Bala Ganesh as New Chief Technology Officer

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    China’s Military Introduces Mosquito-Sized Drones: A Game-Changing Surveillance Technology – Indian Defence Review

    China Unveils Mosquito-Sized Drones: Revolutionizing Surveillance Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Susquehanna Raises Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN) Price Target. – Yahoo Finance

    Susquehanna Raises Price Target for Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN)

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

    Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    Wayve Expands Engineering Leadership to Power Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Technology – Silicon Canals

    Wayve Boosts Engineering Leadership to Accelerate Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Innovation

    Frontdoor Announces Tech Expert Dr. Bala Ganesh as Chief Technology Officer – Business Wire

    Frontdoor Appoints Tech Visionary Dr. Bala Ganesh as New Chief Technology Officer

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    China’s Military Introduces Mosquito-Sized Drones: A Game-Changing Surveillance Technology – Indian Defence Review

    China Unveils Mosquito-Sized Drones: Revolutionizing Surveillance Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

From Growing Crops to Cooking Food, Fire Shaped Ancient Civilizations

February 28, 2024
in Science
From Growing Crops to Cooking Food, Fire Shaped Ancient Civilizations
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Anyone who has ever tried to start a campfire knows it’s not that easy — even with matches. A person has to get the right kindling and tinder, place the match in a suitable spot, and nurture the flame so it spreads. It’s no wonder different scouting groups award merit badges to campers who successfully foster the flames.

It took a long time for ancient humans to master fire-making and adapt it to daily life. But once fire became a consistent tool, it changed many aspects of early human civilization.   

How Humans Found Fire

Cartoons always depict cavemen having an epiphany in which they discover the wheel or start a fire for the first time. But there wasn’t just one moment when a caveman picked up a hunk of pyrite, struck it against a rock, and marveled at the resulting sparks. Instead, hominins lived with natural fire long before they were able to replicate and control it.

“At that period, they started to conceptualize fire and understand that stuff tastes better when it’s not raw,” says Francesco Berna, a professor of archaeology at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, who studies the archeology of fire.

When Was Fire Invented?

So it wasn’t that fire was invented and spread like, well… wildfire. It’s more that humans lived with natural fire, developed tools for controlling flames, and adapted those tools over time.

There’s archeological evidence that archaic humans used fire sporadically as far back as 1.6 million years ago. But it wasn’t until around 350,000 years ago that fire was widely used, with archeological sites from that time being the first to reveal consistent evidence of fire. It was then that spark turned to flame: From then on, fire would play an essential part in human history.

Read More: The Dawn of Fire: When Did Early Humans First Discover Fire?What Did Fire Mean To Early Humans?

What Did Fire Mean To Early Humans?

Although humans have long had access to fire, scientists have only shown greater interest in the archeology of fire in the past few decades.

Archeologists now debate whether Homo sapiens evolved from earlier hominins thanks to the adaptation of fire and the improvements it brought to their diet, shelter, and daily well-being. 

But they do agree that once fire was widely adapted, archaic humans benefited from advantages their own ancestors did not.

Read More: Fire May Have Provided Humanity’s First Social Spark

How Fire Changed Ancient Life

Fire brought many changes to daily life. It allowed people to occupy dark spaces such as caves and to stay safe from predators in open areas such as savannas. 

Bonfires also brought more than light and warmth into the night. They attracted people and allowed for bonding and language development, as well. “It was very important as a social aggregator,” Berna says. 

And though ancient people didn’t build s’mores around their campfires, the adaptation of fire also changed their ability to acquire food.

Fire and Early Farming 

Before farming, archaic humans “managed landscapes,” using fire to manipulate the terrain and remove wooded areas. Reducing tall trees allowed more sunlight, Berna says, which encouraged the growth of the desired plants for foraging.

As humans became farmers, fire also helped develop land for planting. “There were some early farmers that would use slash and burn,” Berna adds. “They would grow crops in previously forested areas.” 

Fire and Early Hunting

Of course, the benefits of fire weren’t limited to foraging. Scientists currently have several ideas on how they think fire helped archaic humans hunt. 

“There are some hypotheses, and you can see some depictions of Neanderthals or Homo sapiens with a torch and pushing big game into traps, jumps, or mud. That may be one way,” Berna says. “Most animals are afraid of fire.”

(Credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock)

But he thinks it’s more likely that early humans used fire to modify the landscape so it was easier to hunt. “By burning down tall grass, you can have better vision,” he adds. 

Not only that, hunters and gatherers used fires to stop grasslands from becoming too overgrown, allowing them to attract the animals they wanted to eat. It’s also possible that flames helped humans remove foliage that wasn’t desirable to their selected prey, Berna says, increasing the presence of plants that their target species preferred.

Fire and Ancient Burial Practices

Adapting fire changed how early humans lived, and in some ways, it changed how they treated their dead. As many people transitioned from nomadic to agrarian lifestyles, how they viewed death and buried their dead also changed. 

The earliest evidence of cremation dates back to 40,000 years ago in Australia. However, Berna says scientists do not know whether those cremations were intentional or accidental. And if they were intentional, archeologists aren’t sure what meaning cremation had to early humans.

“What did they think cremation was? Was it just burning a body to remove the flesh? Or to transform the body into ashes?” he says. 

Consistent evidence of cremation doesn’t occur until relatively late in human history — around the time that humans stopped being nomadic.

Berna says that archeologists have identified intentional burn pits from around 10000 B.C.E to 8000 B.C.E. that were filled with ash and likely served as a village crematorium.

“Cremation is kind of recent human history,” Berna says.

Read More: Archaeologists Find Earliest Evidence of Humans Cooking With Fire

Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

Astrophysics Data System. Understanding environmental impacts of prehistoric fire

The University of Chicago Press Journals. Fire and the Genus Homo

PLOS ONE. Emergence of corpse cremation during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of the Southern Levant: A multidisciplinary study of a pyre-pit burial

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Discover Magazine – https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/from-growing-crops-to-cooking-food-fire-shaped-ancient-civilizations

Tags: cropsGrowingscience
Previous Post

Weakening warming on spring freeze–thaw cycle caused greening Earth’s third pole

Next Post

Physicists Observe the Decay Of A Single Radioactive Nuclei

Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

June 27, 2025
Vote for the Blue Water Area’s top high school sports moment from the 2025 spring season – Times Herald

Cast Your Vote for the Blue Water Area’s Most Unforgettable High School Sports Moment of Spring 2025!

June 27, 2025
Opinion: American Science Is in a Nosedive – and We’re All on Board – The Austin Chronicle

Opinion: American Science Is in a Nosedive – and We’re All on Board

June 27, 2025

Food contact articles as source of micro- and nanoplastics: a systematic evidence map | npj Science of Food – Nature

June 27, 2025
Michelle Dee is featured in Pride Month issue of digital lifestyle magazine – GMA Network

Michelle Dee is featured in Pride Month issue of digital lifestyle magazine – GMA Network

June 27, 2025
These are the best airlines of 2025 – and no US carrier made the list. Here’s why. – USA Today

These are the best airlines of 2025 – and no US carrier made the list. Here’s why. – USA Today

June 27, 2025
Britain’s industrial strategy is unlikely to boost its economy – The Economist

Britain’s industrial strategy is unlikely to boost its economy – The Economist

June 27, 2025
Ashley Jensen joins Superior Clinic to practice family medicine – Essentia Health

Ashley Jensen Joins Superior Clinic to Deliver Expert Family Medicine Care

June 27, 2025
Heads of state and political leaders gather at ‘Summer Davos’. Here’s what they are saying – The World Economic Forum

Heads of state and political leaders gather at ‘Summer Davos’. Here’s what they are saying – The World Economic Forum

June 27, 2025
St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

June 27, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (699)
  • Economy (720)
  • Entertainment (21,613)
  • General (15,595)
  • Health (9,759)
  • Lifestyle (725)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (722)
  • Politics (727)
  • Science (15,937)
  • Sports (21,217)
  • Technology (15,705)
  • World (700)

Recent News

Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

June 27, 2025
Vote for the Blue Water Area’s top high school sports moment from the 2025 spring season – Times Herald

Cast Your Vote for the Blue Water Area’s Most Unforgettable High School Sports Moment of Spring 2025!

June 27, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version