Ice Age Humans Built Fireplaces That Could be ‘Controlled’ According to the Purpose, Some Could Withstand Over 1112° F
The Ice Age was not an easy environment for humans. They had to face extreme temperatures and possibly had certain protective measures in place. One of the speculated protective measures from the Ice Age has surprisingly not been detected much by experts until a recent discovery, stated Popular Science. Findings regarding the discovery have been published in Geoarchaeology.
The discovery took place on the shore of the Dnister River in modern-day Ukraine. Researchers found evidence of three fire hearths at the prehistoric site. They date back to the Last Glacial Maximum, as per experts. Several examinations, like microstratigraphic analysis, micromorphology, and colorimetric analysis, indicated that the hearths were simple, flat, and fired by wood. Further investigation revealed that the fire in one of these hearths reached a temperature of over 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). The team believes this indicates that Ice Age humans had the capability of controlling fire as per their needs.
Through analysis, researchers claimed that the hearths were made sometime between 26,500 and 19,000 years ago. Charcoal examination showcased that the wood used in these hearths was spruce. Experts also found some animal bones at the site, which made them speculate that these remains or fat could have also been utilized for burning. "Some of the animal bones found at the site were burnt in a fire with a temperature of over 650 degrees Celsius (1,202 degrees Fahrenheit). We are currently investigating whether they were used as fuel or just accidentally burned," study co-author and University of Vienna zooarcheologist, Marjolein D. Bosch said.
The fireplaces were found to be open and flat. One of the hearths was larger and thicker, which could imply that the fire in it could reach higher temperatures. Researchers think these hearths had a distinct purpose in different seasons. "People perfectly controlled the fire and knew how to use it in different ways, depending on the purpose of the fire. But our results also show that these hunter-gatherers used the same place at different times of the year during their annual migrations," said Philip R. Nigst, a study co-author and archaeologist at the University of Vienna in Austria.
This finding backs the popular assertion made by multiple experts that fire was an important resource during the Last Glacial Maximum period. "We know that fire was widespread before and after this period, but there is little evidence from the height of the Ice Age," William Murphree, a study co-author and geoarchaeologist at the University of Algarve in Portugal, added.
It is still unclear why less evidence related to fire, dating back to the Last Glacial Maximum, has been detected by archaeologists. "Was most of the evidence destroyed by the ice-age-typical, alternating freezing and thawing of the soil?" asked Murphree, a study co-author and geoarchaeologist at the University of Algarve in Portugal. "Or did people not find enough fuel during the Last Glacial Maximum? Did they not use fire, but instead relied on other technological solutions?" shared Nigst. Researchers are hopeful that more such evidence will allow them to understand further the role of fire in human evolution.