300,000-Year-Old Ancient Hearth Offers Clues About Use of Fire

A team of archaeologists has discovered a 300,000-year-old ancient hearth in Qesem Cave, Tel Aviv, indicating the time period when humans started using fire to cook and socialize.

Researchers at the Tel Aviv University and Weizmann Institute discovered an ancient hearth in Qesem Cave, an ancient site located in present day Rosh Ha'ayin. The finding highlights that  prehistoric humans had already adapted themselves to some form of social structure.

Dr. Ruth Shahack-Gross of the Kimmel Center for Archeological Science at the Weizmann Institute found wood ash deposits in the centre of the cave. With the help of infrared spectroscopy, they determined that the contents were a mix of ash, bones and soil that were charred as they were heated to an extremely high temperature, thus confirming that the site was a massive hearth.

A micro-morphology analysis of the contents was done in a lab and several micro strata were identified in the ash confirming that the hearth was used repeatedly.

The excavators spotted a large number of flint tools in and around the hearth site. These tools were used for cutting meat. Just a few miles away from the site they found flint tools with different shapes indicating they were used for other purposes.  Apart from these tools, the team found a huge mass of burnt animal bones, clear evidence that the prehistoric humans cooked meat.

 The excavators noticed that the cave was divided into various sections for different activities same as we do in present day homes.

The team members concluded that the cave was treated as base camp by the cavemen and they returned to the cave time and again.

"These findings help us to fix an important turning point in the development of human culture - that in which humans first began to regularly use fire both for cooking meat and as a focal point - a sort of campfire - for social gatherings. They also tell us something about the impressive levels of social and cognitive development of humans living some 300,000 years," explained Shahack-Gross.

The excavation activity at the site is continuing since 2000 and is led by Profs. Avi Gopher and Ran Barkai of the Tel Aviv University and Shahack-Gross.

The finding was documented in the journal of Archaeological Science.