Did Discovery of Fire Trigger Human Migration Out of Africa?

[n2doc]

Much is made of early humans eking out an existence with the bare necessities. Making hammers and axes out of rock, houses out of caves. But the most romantic is the acquisition of fire. Long a tool of Mother Nature in redefining her landscape, when humans would come around to domesticating it, it would prove to be a mighty weapon. Not only did it keep us warm at night, cook our food and light our way, but it fought off predators.

And now, according to new research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archaeology suggests that fire was likely a key factor in our exodus out of Africa into Eurasia.

The new theory is based upon findings made at the Gesher Benot Ya'aqov archaeological, located along the Dead Sea rift in the Hula Valley of northern Israel. Original excavations made under the direction of Prof. Naama Goren-Inbar of the Institute of Archaeology had pushed back previously accepted dates of man’s fire making ability by half a million years.

However, Prof. Naama Goren-Inbar of the Institute of Archaeology, continued her work there and found that the fire-making ability was passed on from generation to generation.

more:

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2008/10/discovery-of-fi.html

[aquart]

1. That's logical.

[Enthusiast]

2. I don't get it.

It is widely accepted that Homo Erectus left Africa way before modern humans. Also, there are archaic human fossils in Europe that are also much older than modern humans.

[semillama]

3. The article is talking about the use of fire by early humans

which includes Homo erectus. Hope that clears things up a bit.

[Enthusiast]

4. Thank you. nt

[Orsino]

5. Damn it, people. It's STOP, drop and roll. n/t