Early Neanderthals in eastern Britain deliberately made fire 400,000 years ago, a discovery at the Barnham site that significantly pushes back the timeline for human mastery of fire.Archaeologists found heat-damaged flint handaxes, scorched earth, and iron pyrite fragments, indicating intentional spark production and repeated use of campfires.This groundbreaking find, published in "
Nature", highlights fire's crucial role in human evolution, impacting cooking, brain development, language, and the strengthening of social bonds.