Oldest Known Hearth Unearthed in Israel
Archaeologists report the discovery of a 300,000-year-old hearth, the most ancient one known, for making and using fire. Cynthia Graber reports
By Cynthia Graber
SUBSCRIBE TO Science Quickly
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Early humans began using fire about a million years ago. But it’s been unclear when we began to control fire for our use, a key advance in the development of culture and civilization.
Now, archaeologists report the discovery of the most ancient known hearth for making and using fire. The hearth appears to be 300,000 years old.
Scientists found evidence of wood ash in the center of Qesem Cave in Israel. They removed a chunk of sediment and hardened it in the lab, so they could slice layers and evaluate them under the microscope.
They found burnt bones, flint, wood ash and bits of burnt clay. There’s charred flint and animal bones near the hearth, along with flint tools further away used for activities such as butchering. The research is in the Journal of Archaeological Science. [R. Shahack-Gross et al., Evidence for the repeated use of a central hearth at Middle Pleistocene (300 ky ago) Qesem Cave, Israel]
The investigators say the large hearth was used repeatedly over time for a large group of people. Its centralized location and division of labor areas suggests social structure and spatial planning.
The finding helps delineate a turning point in human social and cognitive development. This and other such hearths were crucibles that helped forge modern humanity—and eventually us.
—Cynthia Graber
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
