Researchers have found proof of human-made fire dating back 400,000 years—that's 350,000 years earlier than any previously known evidence. This groundbreaking discovery was made in Barnham, England, and was published in the prestigious journal Nature on December 10.
The team of researchers, led by the British Museum, uncovered a patch of heated clay, heat-shattered flint handaxes, and two small pieces of iron pyrite. After four years of research, they demonstrated that the fire was not caused by a wildfire but rather that the clay had been repeatedly heated, indicating intentional human action.
Until now, the earliest known intentional setting of fire was in France, only 50,000 years ago. It should be noted, however, that there is evidence that humans interacted with fire created by natural causes as far back as one million years ago in Africa.
The discovery that Homo neanderthalensis had the ability to make fire suggests that early humans could cook food, have light at night, and expand into colder regions.
Indeed, the modern world is a far cry from the human race's original way of living. Hunting and gathering food was how we used to live. We would roam around the plains in small groups and forage off the land. It was a harsh world, but hominids psychologically and physically advanced in order to better adapt to their surroundings. Now, there are only a few groups who have maintained the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Most homo sapiens converted to stationary farming, our modern means of existence.
Still, our past as hunter-gatherers continues to intrigue us. Click through this gallery to learn about how we lived for hundreds of years.