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Oldest known evidence of the controlled ignition of fire

A 400,000-year-old site excavated in England reveals signs of deliberate fires made using the mineral iron pyrite to produce sparks.
By
  1. Ségolène Vandevelde

    1. Ségolène Vandevelde is at the Centre for Mineral Resource Studies and in the Laboratory of History and of Eastern Subarctic Archaeology, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec G7H 2B1, Canada.

Uncovering convincing evidence for the identification of ancient traces of fire is a real challenge. Writing in Nature, Davis et al.1 report success on this front. Using diverse techniques and a contextual approach, this multidisciplinary team presents a set of consistent evidence for the oldest known controlled use of fire, including signs of deliberate ignition of flames. The traces of fire are dated to 400,000 years ago in Barnham in southern England.

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Nature 649, 563-564 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03735-9

References

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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