Early humans first used fire to preserve meat instead of cooking

A new study suggests that early humans may have used fire not primarily for cooking, but to protect their hard-earned meat from predators and preserve it through smoking and drying.

This theory offers a fresh explanation for why fire was first adopted long before it became a common part of daily life.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University argue that early humans, especially Homo erectus, likely used fire as a practical tool to guard and store large quantities of meat. Instead of cooking, fire may have served to smoke and dry meat from massive animals like elephants or hippos.

This, they propose, was a key survival strategy that let humans make the most of rare and valuable kills.

The research was conducted by Dr. Miki Ben-Dor and Professor Ran Barkai from the university’s Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures. The study is part of a broader theory that connects prehistoric developments to the decline of large game over time.

Early uses of fire

Evidence of fire use becomes common in human habitats only after about 400,000 years ago. Before that, signs of fire are much rarer.

“The origins of fire use is a ‘burning’ topic among prehistory researchers around the world,” Barkai said. “It is generally agreed that by 400,000 years ago, fire use was common in domestic contexts – most likely for roasting meat, and perhaps also for lighting and heating.”

“But there is controversy regarding the preceding million years, and various hypotheses have been put forward to explain why early humans began using fire. In this study, we sought to explore a new perspective on the issue.”

Ben-Dor emphasized that early humans didn’t use fire on a regular basis. “At a number of early sites there are clear signs that fire was used, but without burnt bones or evidence of meat roasting,” he said.

The researchers suggest that ancient people needed a compelling, energy-efficient reason to invest time and effort in maintaining a fire.

Patterns across ancient sites

To support their theory, the researchers analyzed nine early sites – 1.8 million to 800,000 years old – with fire evidence. These sites span Africa, Israel, and Spain. The team also drew on ethnographic data from present-day hunter-gatherers to help interpret ancient behavior.

“We examined what the nine ancient sites had in common, and found that all contained large quantities of bones from large animals – mostly elephants, but also hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, and others,” Ben-Dor said.

Previous studies show these animals were crucial for early human diets, supplying most of the necessary calories. “The meat and fat of a single elephant contain millions of calories, enough to feed a group of 20–30 people for a month or more,” he said.

Fire and smoke protects food

From this, the researchers concluded that early humans used fire to guard valuable meat from other animals and to prevent spoilage by smoking it.

“A hunted elephant or hippopotamus was thus a real treasure – a kind of meat and fat ‘bank’ that needed to be protected and preserved for many days, since it was coveted not only by predators but also by bacteria,” Ben-Dor said.

This dual use made fire-building worthwhile, even before it became a standard domestic tool, they argue. It also explains why some early sites have evidence of fire without signs of cooked meat.

A wider prehistoric picture

Barkai sees this idea as part of a larger shift in how we understand early human behavior. “In this study, we propose a new understanding of the factors that motivated early humans to begin using fire,” he explained. “The need to safeguard large hunted animals from other predators, and to preserve the vast quantity of meat over time.”

“It is likely that once fire was produced for these purposes, it was also occasionally used for cooking – at zero marginal energetic cost. Such use may explain evidence of fish roasting from around 800,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov.”

The researchers’ approach aligns with their broader theory that prehistoric hunting and consumption of large animals drove human evolution. When those large animals disappeared, humans adapted by exploiting smaller prey.

In this view, fire wasn’t simply a tool for comfort or cuisine. It was a strategic response to ecological and survival pressures – a way for early humans to make the most of their greatest food sources before those sources became scarce.

The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

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