Humans made unprecedented discovery 350,000 years earlier than previously thought

Archaeologists have made a discovery that may challenge everything we know about human evolution.

Footage shows scientists investigating an excavation site of 400,000-year-old pond sediment in Barnham, SuffolkWhere they say they found the remains of a campfire.

Earlier, the earliest evidence of prehistoric humans making fire was found in France 50,000 years ago. These findings now push the oldest known date for controlled fire making back to approximately 350,000 years.

Archaeologist Nick Ashton, curator of paleontological collections at the British Museum in London, said his team believed humans brought pyrite – a mineral that produces sparks when struck – to the site “with the intention of making fire”.