Neanderthals: Masters of Fire
Evidence Suggests Our Hominin Cousins Sparked Their Own Fires
For years, we’ve known that Neanderthals, our hominin cousins, shared many similarities with us. They crafted jewelry, appreciated beauty, and buried their dead. Recent studies have even shown that they possessed language. Now, a groundbreaking study suggests that Neanderthals may have also mastered a technology that was once thought to be unique to our species: making fire on demand.
The Hand-Axe as a Fire-Starting Tool
Archaeologists have long known that Neanderthals used fire, but they assumed that they relied on natural sources like lightning or forest fires. However, Andrew Sorensen of Leiden University challenged this assumption.
Sorensen hypothesized that Neanderthals might have used hand-axes, sharp stone tools made from flint, to strike pyrite, a mineral that produces sparks. To test his theory, he created his own hand-axes and used them to strike pyrite, producing small showers of sparks that could be nursed into larger fires.
Microscopic Evidence
Sorensen then examined the microscopic marks left on the hand-axes by the pyrite. These marks are distinctive and can only be produced by striking pyrite.
He compared these experimental marks to hand-axes found at archaeological sites associated with Neanderthals. The results were astonishing: 26 surfaces on 20 hand-axes showed these distinctive marks, indicating that Neanderthals had indeed used them to start fires.
Controversial Findings
The study’s findings have sparked controversy. Some experts, like Dennis Sandgathe of Simon Fraser University, argue that the technique of comparing experimental “wear patterns” to artifacts is not an exact science. Sorensen acknowledges this limitation but maintains that the evidence strongly suggests that Neanderthals were capable of making fire on demand.
Alternative Explanations
Sandgathe also points out that he has not found evidence of hand-axes and pyrite being used together in the same archaeological layer. However, he acknowledges that the archaeological record for the period in question is incomplete.
Implications of the Discovery
If Sorensen’s findings are confirmed, they would have significant implications for our understanding of Neanderthals. It would suggest that they were even more technologically advanced than previously thought.
Additionally, it raises the possibility that Neanderthals may have taught early humans the technique of making fire on demand. This would mean that our hominin cousins played a crucial role in the development of one of the most fundamental human technologies.
Ongoing Research
Sorensen plans to continue his research to investigate whether other hominin species, including early humans, used similar fire-making techniques. His work could shed new light on the technological and cultural evolution of our ancestors.
Summary
- Neanderthals may have possessed the ability to make fire on demand using flint hand-axes and pyrite.
- Microscopic evidence on hand-axes from archaeological sites supports this hypothesis.
- The findings are controversial, but they suggest that Neanderthals were more technologically advanced than previously believed.
- Neanderthals may have played a role in teaching early humans the technique of fire-making.
