Neanderthals were master fire-starters, cave chemistry suggests
A new study distinguishes chemical traces left by ancient hearth fires from those left by natural wildfires
Neanderthals were masters at making and controlling fires, suggests new research that found distinctive hydrocarbons from ancient hearths in a cave inhabited up to 60,000 years ago. The study gives weight to the theory that Neanderthals and other early humans were skilled at making fires, rather than just exploiting natural wildfires.