Early Evidence Of Fire Found

Discovery News ^ | 10-17-2003 | Rossella Lorenzi

[blam]

Early Evidence Of Fire Found

Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News

Oct. 17, 2003 — Construction work to build a relief road for a British village has revealed one of the earliest evidences of fire in Europe, British archaeologists announced.

Charcoal deposits that might date back between 250,000 and 300,000 years ago, were discovered in Harnham, a village one mile south of Salisbury on South Wiltshire's Chalklands, England.

"It's really an exciting discovery. It has come out of the blue as air photography showed nothing of significance. The presence of charcoal suggests the people there made fires. It would seem natural as the climate was cold and damp at the time," archaeologist Helena Cave Penny told Discovery News.

Excavation also uncovered animal bones, such as horse bones, and 44 "very rare" flint hand axes — the earliest form of tool used by man.

"The site was next to a tributary of the River Avon. We believe it was used as a seasonal riverside camp," Cave Penny said.

Revealing the shadow of hunters who probably made fire and sat by the river using axes as butchery tools to carve up meat, the prehistoric riverside "picnic" site dates to the lower Paleolithic (early Stone Age) era.

Characterized by flint implements simply chipped into shape, this is a crucial period as it saw the development of those features that make us human — loss of thick body hair; bipedal; tool-making; use of fire; the creation of clothing and weapons and probably the development of language.

Showing plenty of evidence of Stone Age sites, England boasts the largest area of preserved Paleolithic land surface in Europe at Boxgrove, West Sussex.

According to Roy Canham, County Archaeologist for Wiltshire, the Chalkland area near Salisbury might have potential for new discoveries.

"This finding can help our understanding of the period. The use of fire may have to remain speculative, but the evidence really looks OK," Canham said.

The findings will be catalogued and put on display in Salisbury Museum.

[blam]

Would'nt a title like this be more correct: Evidence Of Early Fire Use Found

[billorites]

"Would'nt a title like this be more correct: Evidence Of Early Fire Use Found "

Unless it was in the NY Post, In which case it would be along the lines of...

Ash Stash in Brit's Pit

[stands2reason]

I'm enjoying the new British discoveries in archaeology! Islands hold a special place when it comes to studying history. Separated from the mainland, they'll often preserve features that haven't been run over roughshod by conqueror after conqueror after conqueror.

[farmfriend]

do you want this one pinged

[RightWhale]

Separated from the mainland

Sometimes it is, like now. What actually encourages archaeological sites is that the British Isles have inclement weather. It's cold, the sun never shines, and nobody but deepwoods primitives and monks would want to live there--that's the kind of remains they will find. Until the tin mines, that is.

[DefCon]

This just in from the department of
"somebody stuck a microphone in my face and I
had to say something without thinking about it"...
- - -
"...The presence of charcoal suggests the people there made fires..."
(Is there some other non-fire related way to make charcoal?)
- - -
"...It would seem natural as the climate was cold and damp at the time..."
(And England's climate is now NOT cold and damp and fire is no longer needed?)

[blam]

"do you want this one pinged"

Yes, please.

[farmfriend]

Gods, Graves, Glyphs
List for articles regarding early civilizations , life of all forms, - dinosaurs - etc.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this ping list.

[aruanan]

Ash Stash in Brit's Pit

HA HA HA HA HA. That's a good one!

[blam]

You forget to mention the presence of the bones and axes.

[TrebleRebel]

Prehistoric peer pressure (Gary Larson)

[edwin hubble]

Good post.

But these were our species...
but not our subspecies ('modern humans', homo sapiens sapiens) were they?

(info from this site:
http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vwsu/gened/learnmodules/top_longfor/timeline/timeline.html

Homo sapiens (unspecified subspecies) - 400,000 to 200,000 years BCE
Homo sapiens neandertalensis - 200,000 to 30,000 years BCE
Homo sapiens sapiens - 130,000 years BCE to present

[mgstarr]

Wait - isn't this just more deception? Afterall, the earth is only 5,000 to 7,000 years old.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Just thought I'd get a jump on the strict Creationists before they showed up on this thread.

[DefCon]

"...and 44 "very rare" flint hand axes..."
- - -
I'd kinda like to see the pics of the pict's pikes.

[blam]

Maybe they are related to this guy, Cheddar Man

[GreenHornet]

Rumor has it they also found a half empty can of charcoal lighter and a 250,000 year old bug zapper at the site.

[Ahban]

Ed,

There is a 70K gap between the end of our previous subspecies and the beginning our our current one, and that 130K is being very generous. The evidence of our subspecies goes back about 40-50K.

How can that 70K gap exist if we are the descendents of the previous species? We aren't from Neandertals, right?

[FastCoyote]

List for articles regarding early civilizations , life of all forms, - dinosaurs - etc

I definitely want on your list.

[farmfriend]

Consider yourself added. If you ever change your mind, let me know.

[visualops]

Add me too, thank you :)