Abstract
The site of Gruta da Aroeira (Torres Novas, Portugal), with evidence of human occupancy dating to ca. 400 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11), is one of the very few Middle Pleistocene localities to have provided a fossil hominin cranium associated with Acheulean bifaces in a cave context. The multi-analytic study reported here of the by-products of burning recorded in layer X suggests the presence of anthropogenic fires at the site, among the oldest such evidence in south-western Europe. The burnt material consists of bone, charcoal and, possibly, quartzite cobbles. These finds were made in a small area of the cave and in two separate occupation horizons. Our results add to our still-limited knowledge about the controlled use of fire in the Lower Palaeolithic and contribute to ongoing debates on the behavioural complexity of the Acheulean of Europe.
Highlights
The site of Gruta da Aroeira (Torres Novas, Portugal), with evidence of human occupancy dating to ca. 400 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11), is one of the very few Middle Pleistocene localities to have provided a fossil hominin cranium associated with Acheulean bifaces in a cave context
Discrete concentrations of burnt flint micro-artefacts, taken as proxies for hearths, were found[18], but the earliest undisputed evidence dates to 420–200 ka, as exemplified by the in-situ fireplaces associated with burnt bones and lithics found in the upper deposits of Qesem Cave (Israel)[19,20]
We identified eight items presenting a colour that might result from thermal alteration (Fig. 7)[50]
Summary
The site of Gruta da Aroeira (Torres Novas, Portugal), with evidence of human occupancy dating to ca. 400 ka (Marine Isotope Stage 11), is one of the very few Middle Pleistocene localities to have provided a fossil hominin cranium associated with Acheulean bifaces in a cave context. Controlling the use of fire was a technological milestone in human evolution that broadened diet, expanded the ecological range, and provided a powerful defensive and offensive tool[1,2,3,4]. It required a complex mind, capable of predicting fire behaviour and fuel needs, and imposed high energetic c osts[5]. Preserved hearths containing a combination of combustion residues, including ash, charred plant or animal remains, thermally altered sediments, and burnt artefacts provide direct evidence of the controlled use of fire[6]. Discrete concentrations of burnt flint micro-artefacts, taken as proxies for hearths, were found[18], but the earliest undisputed evidence dates to 420–200 ka, as exemplified by the in-situ fireplaces (wood ash) associated with burnt bones and lithics found in the upper deposits of Qesem Cave (Israel)[19,20]
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