New evidence for Early Pleistocene use of fire at Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa)

Abstract

Tracing the earliest evidence of burning in archaeological contexts is essential for understanding the emergence of fire use—an innovation that underpinned critical behavioral and biological developments in the genus Homo. However, identifying unambiguous traces of early fire use remains challenging. To enhance detection of incipient burning in early occupation layers, we introduce a rapid, non-invasive protocol based on bone luminescence properties, validated through comparison with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Using these methods, we provide evidence for fire use in two Early Pleistocene (Acheulean) deposits at Wonderwerk Cave (South Africa), extending the chronology of one of the world’s earliest paleo-fire records. This combined approach improves the resolution with which early fire use can be identified and opens new avenues for investigating the emergence of pyrotechnology in deep time.