Why Did Humans Start Using Fire? New Theory Suggests It Wasn't To Cook Food

It is arguable that the discovery of fire is one of the most important developments in the history of our species, if not the most important one. Our mastery over this elemental force has shaped so much of our world, allowing us to prepare food, extend daylight hours, warm homes in the cold, and manufacture tools . Without fire, we would never have had the Industrial Revolution, basic medicines, or shadow puppets. At the same time, fire is now arguably one of the most significant forces at play in our increasingly overheating world, so its impacts extend beyond its initial discovery.

But what sparked this early relationship between humans and fire? New research suggests that it wasn’t necessarily to cook food but rather to preserve it for longer.

This has long been the subject of hea