Our ancestors mastered hearth design and fire control during Ice Age
They also learned how to regulate fire temperature.
Hominids have wielded fire for at least a million years, but fresh findings suggest that Ice-Age humans ancestors didn’t just light a fire — they engineered it, according to a study published in the journal Geoarcheology.
A team of archaeologists from across Europe — led by the University of Vienna and the University of Algarve — uncovered three hearths in present-day Ukraine dating from 26,500 to 19,000 years ago, the coldest phase of the last Ice Age. Tests revealed these ancient fires burned at temperatures near 600 °C (over 1,100 °F), right in the middle of the last Ice Age.
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What intrigued researchers even more were residues of bone and animal fats, embedded in the hearths alongside wood — both substances known to enhance burning, making flames hotter and brighter.
Whether Ice-Age people added them deliberately or they were leftovers from cooking is still unknown, but either way, it’s rare evidence of sophisticated fire use in such a harsh period.
William Murphree, lead author from the University of Algarve, remarked in a press release issued by the University of Vienna: "We know that fire was widespread before and after this period, but there is little evidence from the height of the Ice Age."
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The hearths themselves were simple and open, but varied in design: one was significantly larger and thicker — hinting at intentional design for more intense heat. Philip Nigst of the University of Vienna observed that these differences suggest a surprisingly thoughtful approach to fire management.
"People perfectly controlled the fire and knew how to use it in different ways, depending on the purpose of the fire. But our results also show that these hunter-gatherers used the same place at different times of the year during their annual migrations," he said.
Still, the findings spark as many questions as they answer. For example, how did Ice-Age humans gather enough fuel in a frozen landscape? Did they also burn something other than wood — and if so, what?
With so few Ice-Age fireplaces ever found — and few well-preserved remains — scientists are left with tantalizing fragments of a much bigger story about how our ancestors kept the cold and hunger at bay.
