Study shows first evidence of cooking which maybe over 600,000 years earlier than previously thought

A study published in the journal, Nature Ecology and Evolution, after studying thousands of fish fossils, revealed that they have found evidence of what may be the earliest signs of fire being used to cook. This comes as scientists previously found “definitive evidence” by Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens 170,000 years ago, however, the new research pushes the date to more than 600,000 years.

The study conducted by Israeli researchers claims that early humans living 780,000 years ago used to cook, while the issue has somewhat been controversial among archaeologists as it is difficult to prove that fireplaces were used for anything other than warmth. The study comes after 16 years of research, which catalogued thousands of fish remains found in Gesher Benot Ya’aqov in northern Israel.

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The first author Irit Zohar, an archaeologist at Tel Aviv University’s Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, said that the banks of the Jordan River once had a lake where they found these ancient fish fossils which helped them investigate. In an interview with AFP, she said that the fossils they found had “nearly no fish bones” but lots of teeth which was their first clue.

Notably, most of the teeth found were of the two particularly large species of carp which were over two metres long and may have been selected for their “succulent” meat, said the study. In the same area, her colleague found burnt flints and other evidence that indicated the presence of a fireplace.

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The first author also said that the presence of only teeth suggests cooking because fish bones soften and disintegrate at temperatures under 500 degrees Celsius. However, they found “decisive” after studying the teeth enamel, Zohar added.

Researchers used an X-ray powder diffraction at the Natural History Museum in London in order to compare the changes in the structure of the crystals that make up enamel after it was heated with the other fish fossils discovered in the lake. Subsequently, it concluded that the teeth from the key area of the lake were subjected to a temperature between 200-500 degree celsius, which they say is the right range for a well-cooked fish.

(With inputs from agencies)

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