When did humans master fire? Research says 400,000 years ago
11 Dec 2025

Humans first learned to create fire around 400,000 years ago, 350,000 years earlier than previously believed.

The revelation comes from a groundbreaking discovery in Suffolk, England.

Until now, the earliest confirmed evidence of humans igniting fires was found in northern France and dated back to about 50,000 years ago.

Evidence of early fire-making in Suffolk
Discovery

The new evidence from Suffolk includes a patch of scorched earth and fire-cracked hand-axes.

This strongly suggests that humans were making fire much earlier than previously thought.

The discovery comes at a time when early Neanderthals's brain size was nearing the modern human range and some species were moving into harsher northern climates like Britain.

Implications of fire control on human evolution
Impact

Dr. Rob Davis, a Paleolithic archeologist at the British Museum and co-investigator of the study, emphasized the importance of this discovery.

He said, "The ability to create and control fire is one of the most important turning points in human history with practical and social benefits that changed human evolution."

Fire-making skills may have aided evolutionary milestones
Evolutionary advancements

The earlier timeline for fire-making could mean it played a major role in key evolutionary milestones like language development and climate adaptability.

Control of fire provided warmth, light, protection from the predators, and allowed humans to process a wider range of foods.

This would have improved survival rates, enabled larger groups to thrive, and freed up energy for brain development.

Fire as a catalyst for social interaction
Social implications

Davis further noted that "fire becomes a hub for social interactions, for food sharing, for the development of language, for early storytelling, myth-making."

The discovery was made at an abandoned clay pit where stone tools were first found in the early 1900s.

It took years of research to confirm these findings and establish that they were not just opportunistic uses of wildfires but evidence of human-made campfires.