Some researchers remain cautious, with Wil Roebroeks among those viewing the evidence as circumstantial and not a definitive start to fire-making for all hominins.

The discovery stems from new research, though specific methods, sites, or peer-reviewed publication details are not all provided in the excerpt.

The research cites multiple prior studies on fire usage and technology across sites such as Wonderwerk Cave and early European locations, reflecting a long-standing debate about when habitual fire use began.

The Nature paper, led by Nick Ashton, is titled “Les plus anciennes preuves de fabrication du feu” and marks a milestone in understanding early fire management in Britain.

The study argues this evidence indicates deliberate fire use, not natural fires, with four years of work to show heating resulted from regular fire and to rule out alternative causes.

The publication date is identified as December 10, 2025, with excited researchers highlighting the significance of the finding.

Co-authors include Nick Ashton of the British Museum and Rob Davis, with supportive fossil context from nearby Neanderthal-associated finds and Swanscombe skull fragments dated to around 400,000 years ago.

A groundbreaking find at Barnham, England suggests the use of controlled fire by hominins as far back as roughly 350,000 years ago, based on repeatedly heated soil, burned stone tools, and two iron pyrite fragments capable of sparking.

Researchers emphasize the broader implications for human evolution, including cooking, protection, climate adaptation, social organization, and culture development.

Readers should note that access to the full Nature article is gated behind a subscription or institutional access.

The study, coauthored by Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum and published in Nature, calls for further examination of other sites to map the regional extent of early fire use in Britain and Europe.

Scholarly opinion acknowledges the finding as compelling while calling for more sites and evidence to understand prevalence and practice of fire making among ancient populations.