# Humans Acquired fire 790,000 Years Ago



## Drachir (Oct 28, 2008)

Looks like this discovery is what made it possible for early humans to move north into less hospitable climates.  

Humans made fire 790,000 years ago: study


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## MontyCircus (Nov 3, 2008)

That's cool.  Thanks for that.


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## Urlik (Nov 3, 2008)

with hindsight it is obvious
prehistoric man's ability to nap flints into tools has long been known about.
it seems funny that the sparks produced haven't been thought about until now.

the question now is; which came first, the flint tool or the fire?

my guess, based on the 600 thousand years or so between this and napped flint tools, is that they discovered that flint produced sparks and then, much later, that the fractured flints could be further shaped into knives and axes


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## Ursa major (Nov 3, 2008)

So it wasn't us (homo sapiens), then.


(And so did we _really_ steal fire, as suggested by the myth?)


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## ktabic (Nov 4, 2008)

Urlik said:


> with hindsight it is obvious
> prehistoric man's ability to nap flints into tools has long been known about.
> it seems funny that the sparks produced haven't been thought about until now.



Well, the sparks don't make a fire, you need (very) dry kindling and a relatively windless environment. Most people have never tried to start a fire with flint so think it's easier than it is (I have. Tried, that is. Wasn't particularly successful - but I had several other methods available to me). The hard part is the dry kindling. It certainly wouldn't have been beyond their capabilities.



Urlik said:


> my guess, based on the 600 thousand years or so between this and napped flint tools, is that they discovered that flint produced sparks and then, much later, that the fractured flints could be further shaped into knives and axes



This is possible, but the sharpen flint edges would have been quite helpful in making dry kindling (a feathered stick makes good kindling), I suspect the development of tools was to make making fire easier (I have no proof though  )


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## Rosemary (Nov 7, 2008)

A very interesting article Drachir, thank you.  I think Urlik is probably correct, in that they found that sparks came from the flints.

I've only tried twirling the sticks to make a spark when I was a Girl Guide, and that wasn't easy.  Had achy arms and hands for days!


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