Susana Rubio-Jara
Professor in the Department of Prehistory, Ancient History and Archaeology
The use of controlled fire in archaeological contexts is not often observed, which is why the evidence found at the Barnham site in the United Kingdom is another exceptional case.
The implications of the use of fire, such as heat, the cooking of plant or animal matter, protection from predators, or interaction between hominins for its production, are elements that bring us closer to understanding the behaviour and adaptation of hominins to their environment.
The studies used by the authors to determine the use of fire at Barnham are solid, however, sites with indirect evidence of fire use have been cited, rather than direct evidence, such as those found at the Acheulean site of Valdocarros (Madrid) by Stancampiano et al., 2023, dating back some 250,000 years, where the presence of several hearths was documented through the analysis of lipid biomarkers in the sediment.