Wonderwerk Cave bones reveal possible fire use by human ancestors 1.79 million years ago

June 7, 2026 report Wonderwerk Cave bones reveal possible fire use by human ancestors 1.79 million years ago Paul Arnold Author Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor The discovery of fire was a major milestone in human evolution, giving our ancestors a way to stay warm, ward off predators, and eventually start cooking food. But exactly when this first happened is still intensely debated, as unambiguous evidence is difficult to find. However, new research from a cave in South Africa is now pushing back the current timeline of our history with fire by hundreds of thousands of years. Archaeological treasure trove The discovery was made in Wonderwerk Cave, an archaeological site that has revealed a wealth of ancient secrets in recent years. This includes the finding that early humans used fire here about one million years ago, based on burnt bone, sediment, and heat-altered stone tools found in an upper layer of the cave called Stratum 10. In this new research, published in the journal PLOS One, archaeologists ventured deeper into the cave to an older layer called Stratum 11, where they discovered evidence of fire dating to between 1.07 and 1.79 million years ago. That could make it the oldest evidence of fire use so far. Researchers discovered small mammal bones in Stratum 11 that appeared to have been burned. Confirmation came after using a new method for this type of research called bone luminescence, in which high-energy blue light is shone on gray and white fossils under a microscope, causing burnt bones to glow a vibrant red when viewed through a filter. A natural cause of the fire was ruled out because the bones were found 30 meters from the cave entrance. In other words, far away from any licks of flames from a wildfire. A new timeline To determine when these fires could have taken place, scientists dated the cave sediment using two techniques: magnetostratigraphy and cosmogenic burial dating. Combining the results from both of these gave a time window of 1.07 to 1.79 million years ago. "Using these methods, we provide evidence for fire use in two Early Pleistocene (Acheulean) deposits at Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa), extending the chronology of one of the world's earliest paleo-fire records," commented the study authors in their paper. While the finding is significant for providing further insights into our ancient past, it does not demonstrate routine cooking or fire-making technology. Instead, it suggests that early humans may have repeatedly brought fire into this part of the cave and managed it. "The burnt fossil bones of small mammals recovered from the early Acheulean deposits in Strata 10 and 11 of Wonderwerk Cave provide strong evidence for repeated, spatially patterned combustion events deep within the cave." Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. Publication details M. Dolores Marin-Monfort et al, New evidence for Early Pleistocene use of fire at Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa), PLOS One (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347480 Journal information: PLoS ONE © 2026 Science X Network