Archaeological evidence makes a compelling case for Neanderthal-created fires 400,000 years ago in Suffolk, UK — plus, how chatbots can sway the opinions of voters.
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00:46 Evidence of the earliest fire
Baked soil, ancient tools and materials that could be used to start fires show that Neanderthals were making fire in the UK 400,000 years ago — the earliest evidence of this skill found so far. Ancient humans are known to have used naturally occurring fires, but evidence of deliberate fire-starting has been hard to come by. A new suite of evidence pushes back the date of fire mastery by 350,000 years. The team behind the finding believes it helps create a more nuanced picture of Neanderthals, who perhaps gathered round fires and told stories in ancient Europe.
Research Article: Davis et al.
News and Views: Oldest known evidence of the controlled ignition of fire
11:31 Research Highlights
Machine-learning algorithms can help to identify traces of life in ancient rocks — plus, why paintings containing a vivid green pigment lose their lustre over time.
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