Ancient origins of fire use

From Philadelphia, at the annual meetings of the Society for American Archaeology and the Paleoanthropology Society

Human ancestors learned to control fire by around 1.7 million years ago, far earlier than many scientists have assumed, concludes a new analysis of burned stone artifacts from eastern Africa.

Chinese and European sites from as early as 500,000 years ago contain hearths and burned bones widely viewed as evidence of fire use by human ancestors.