# In African cave, Israeli, international scientists find signs of earliest use of fire

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-06-17 08:07 UTC · Category: Science

## Executive Summary
An international team of researchers has uncovered evidence in a South African cave suggesting humans used fire nearly 1.8 million years ago.

## Intelligence Brief
Scientists from Israel and other international institutions have identified signs of early fire use within an African cave. The findings indicate the practice may date back approximately 1.8 million years, a timeline that contrasts with previous scientific estimates regarding the history of fire usage.


Coverage from Sci.News, WION, EurekAlert!, and The Times of Israel emphasizes the potential impact of these findings on the established timeline of human development. The reports highlight the collaborative nature of the research conducted by the international scientific team.


Future developments depend on ongoing analysis of the cave site. Coverage does not yet specify the exact methodology used to verify the age of the materials or the specific implications for human evolutionary study.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| ZME Science | Humans May Have Learned to Use Fire Nearly 800,000 Years Earlier Than We Thought, South African Cave Suggests | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxPYTlIclVLY2ZhVHRxNWhMNGNPaERkX2J5S2w2M3NobkxKenlXcm5rY1E2V0tmYkNib2hpTEttU0xlc0hPZFJlVWRtMENkWnpVSHBYYVJLczY0S1pEVkE2d0hpUDhYVGpBUi04WU5qdWEtdEFkems3d2FhejBIZ2NfNUJFbk9xZw?oc=5) |
| The Economic Times | Burnt bones from Wonderwerk Cave suggest early humans used fire deep inside caves up to 1.8 million years | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAJBVV95cUxOYWVqbnI1ZHVKM0FubTRKM1BEdlBIdXYyRzdqcFNjbTBrYWM4Q1JNZkhmV2habWRHUUxjNFRHY2EyUHBuRko5VmdZUkFPTzF3UnNka0FDNDU2eTRMS0tCNW9BRDFCLUVWdzltVUY4UUJBNmI5UWpJdU5mZ01wdm9oRWNoZ0lJZjczeUIyTk5ENFRtQXo3Q1k4WjdMaE9SQkh4X3NXUDdrMVNFWkd4Smk3VnRoU3NaWW5zSG9LU0tRNEFvYTN1LVlackxUQXVUYkNxTGhNbnVPX0tTSElqWlN1UkZxVU44UVY2ME55dXVidnN4RDlicld5T1VPZG82cmdlMUNaLWtqMEo4U0520gGSAkFVX3lxTE1TY3c0WnJ1ZzNBbVM4YmFtVFNLRnZycUNkVzhhT0pjYVJJX2xvU0xrbzctcWJJU2JkbzNvTUhSelNobktERWJ) |
| Sci.News | Evidence of Fire Use by Early Humans May Date Back Nearly 1.8 Million Years | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMid0FVX3lxTE9mdjV1RGo4QVNhcXdYaTZXeXVvUUE2d0pWeFUwUFYwQnQtU2FobFZVc0Ftc2s2VVJ2elg5TEtWTVF3Skt6WXFDQnhXRUtfbnZRaEo3b3o4UWw2ZmVBWlhKUENiVm05cTUybVhsYTQ0VEhmMUlYTTBr?oc=5) |
| WION | 1.8 million-year-old 'fiery' discovery in South African cave could change timeline of human history | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1AFBVV95cUxObG5FdjV5c2o4QjJrbUJXQUY3THJVdzlKd2MySW9jem1lMFB0d0hidjd3LWxzbm9Hcng0ekF2VHMwYm15aTRwUnB5WGhFZ0lEQTBnVnlLWUstUU1FQUVlZGxrT2VTckVGZVY5aVlScnE5Yk5TVVY4UjlIb09qVUloVWlXOHY5SU9qQk5ETERSMDMySVA5ZG8ycy1UczJ2cmFDcURyZVhJSWpPRDVraENWbDhlSmJqVHZmSVI0ZnVvbXg0T2xkSFZNdnd3eEE4WTFTd2FzedIB2gFBVV95cUxQd0ZnUml1OVJrM0ViNWlYYzNBM0Z5aTJNTFE2UndqOHNYWlpjbTJhbGJZSmVVTU1uajJhbUtOOHpHTGEwamdESHVOR21fZVBrRG5VNERfZGJ0YV8xazhNR3ZIT2pOR01oWmszX3NrTkxzUDJqQXFpajlpMVdoUGp) |
| EurekAlert! | Ancient fire record rewritten: Researchers push earliest evidence of human fire use back to over a million years | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiXEFVX3lxTE9RemlROHZsSG9rQU9kOW1jbXJPU3FmWHZNb0VtTU5rUHVCLXhldTFfU1VwbjRkR2IxV0l6UUltVDhjWUFhY0pZS0dNd2NpaTRKWmtOdGd0VVZFRE9D?oc=5) |
| The Times of Israel | In African cave, Israeli, international scientists find signs of earliest use of fire | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOYXRVMUpJWTVXNGp5Wm9ZZ3RYVF8zbF9TVHJ0bm5IbDEtYjZqV3p5eG1VNXZVTHY5ekcwdlEzZTAzX255OFd2bGR5VFhKWG9rOU5fdWdCaTB0MGxtN0RfS1c0SnNKUTRmdWNlQU40Nl9fV3RPRy1QZ1otMlpvSVItbkZvQTdGSmVIakJWdU1IakZ1eVJQUVhnX2w0VTh6ZmxraFFQR1hxVVZMdzFFT3ZtSWEteTPSAboBQVVfeXFMTVNWNWtONVVqX1ROZG9NRnFjVmxYTHQ1NXlhTks5bURucVhGQjZjTUJOSHBRTk9DLVM4c2QtU3NfVjNtSG9SbUFGeEphZkpxZS1MNGxDaGFHNV80UnpXZ05kc3Zvdm91R0gyS1pwWEhIV2RncllOSXdMUGNqRmxvRkJpQXNCSVRVelRpT1hKaVZzMDRqOE5DdmE1dDNqSFk) |
| Gizmodo | Humans Were Using Fire Long Before Scientists Thought Possible, Study Says | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxOTFZsMDBDRTItSnRuakY1dzBEMnd1Rk5nX3pON2xvSzBJTkdpMWxvM0R5YWJSRlVpc3dhV2QwSGtCNEdheDdoNDQzcnNEc2dncVB3QVpVd0JPSzNpNl9KZ05ub2hhdmg4bWRqdDdwNkFaRzJYQ25TYzlaRUFqdzhwT09sWlU5SmxIeVRjVDlQbFNsV3hvUDZ0cDBkb2hHNjRWUFJqYV8xbw?oc=5) |
| Arkeonews | Homo erectus May Have Used Fire in South African Cave More Than 1.7 Million Years Ago | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOem5tb19rbjRFVTROemtwems4Ul9VLUx2QXdRUmxMWEZjUEktX3NtbGdJTVFMZjF0a1ZvRDFaTWxjRHNybXVvdnMyTGFsVXJZamVTLVI5SWhFQXpQa3ZGRzZaT1c3NlU1enE5TmFxLW5Ka1NPWmFyUmVvNjFUSktKM1YzWlluSk01a1NEM09NcHRQZHZYVHp0cWgtQjF6dFlhcVlFS0xMY01oTXlO?oc=5) |
| EurekAlert! | Stages of Burning on Bones (IMAGE) | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWEFVX3lxTFBpZFNVTmhTS3A4dzNwY1B1N3JDR0RVbWVXa1VPemI4UWZyOXYtdndvUXh1eDFBTm9hRFMtZVRJNHBaVW5VWnI2Y2ktWjlReEVDeFR3TU1jZnQ?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-06-17/in-african-cave-israeli-international-scientists-find-signs-of-earliest-use-of*