Europeans could cook food over fire 250,000 years ago – much earlier than previously thought

People in Europe could use fire for cooking as early as 250,000 years ago. This is 50 thousand years earlier than previously thought.

This is evidenced by a new study by scientists on the territory of the Valdocarros II archaeological monument, located near Madrid in Spain, reports The Guardian.

The research team claims that not only were there several “organized” fires at the site, but chemical analysis of the substances in them showed that the fires burned at temperatures of around 280°C to 350°C.

Next to the potential remains of the campfire, stone tools with charred materials were also found, on which traces of animal fat and plants were found.

Experts believe that these data may be the oldest known evidence of the conscious use of fire by our ancestors in Europe.

“This is the oldest evidence that man-controlled fire was used for cooking“, – said Dr. Clayton Magill, associate professor at Heriot-Watt University, author of the study.

In addition, the research team found evidence of pine decomposition products and fungi, indicating the burning of rotten wood.

And the large size of one of the hearths indicates that the ancestors of Europeans could have used it to protect themselves from predators, says Professor Robert Hosfield from the University of Reading.

It will be recalled that in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, the remains of two 50-year-old men who could have died from the eruption of Vesuvius were found.

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