Study Finds Early Humans Mastered Fire 400,000 Years Ago

Discovery of the first fragment of iron pyrite in 2017, at Barnham, Suffof, England.

Ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously thought, according to new research showing deliberate fire-setting in eastern England around 400,000 years ago.

The findings push back the earliest confirmed date for controlled fire-making by about 350,000 years. Earlier evidence had suggested that Neanderthals first mastered fire roughly 50,000 years ago in northern Europe.

The discovery comes from Barnham, a long-studied Paleolithic site in Suffolk. Researchers identified baked clay, flint hand axes cracked by high heat and two fragments of iron pyrite—a mineral that produces sparks when struck against flint. Because pyrite does not occur naturally at the site, scientists say it must have been collected intentionally for fire-starting.

Extensive analysis over four years ruled out natural causes such as wildfires. Geochemical tests showed temperatures exceeding 700°C (1,292°F) and evidence of repeated burning in the same spot, indicating a constructed hearth rather than lightning activity.

The preservation of the burned sediments—sealed beneath ancient pond deposits—provides rare physical proof of early fire-making. Such traces are usually lost because ash disperses easily and heat-altered soil erodes over time.

Researchers say the discovery has major implications for understanding human evolution. Mastering fire allowed early populations to stay warm in cold climates, deter predators and cook food, which improved nutrition and supplied the extra energy needed for growing brains.

Fossil evidence suggests the Barnham inhabitants were early Neanderthals who were developing increasingly sophisticated tools, behaviors and cognitive abilities between 500,000 and 400,000 years ago.

Fire likely played a key social role as well. Shared hearths would have created spaces for evening gatherings, planning, storytelling and strengthening group bonds—interactions often linked to the emergence of more complex communication and social organization.

Archaeologists say the Barnham site fits a broader pattern across Britain and Europe during this period, when early humans began showing behaviors that closely resemble those of modern humans. One researcher described the find as the most exciting discovery of his four-decade career.

The study also helps address a long-standing question in human history: when early humans stopped relying on natural flames and learned to create fire whenever they needed it.