Rare ancient charcoal shows how prehistoric ‘Israelis’ were already grilling 780,000 years ago |
Almost 800,000 years ago, early humans living in the area of northern Israel were likely collecting driftwood from the ancient predecessor of the Hula Lake to regularly fuel fires, according to a new study published in the June 2026 issue of the Quaternary Science Reviews journal. The research suggests that early inhabitants of the area knew how to use environmental resources more efficiently and with greater sophistication than previously thought.
Prof. Naama Goren-Inbar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, one of the study’s authors, explained that for the first time, the team of Israeli and international scholars identified a large number of charcoal fragments at Gesher Benot Ya’akov, a rare find at an ancient site.
Gesher Benot Ya’akov offers the earliest evidence for the use of controlled fire outside Africa.
“Gesher Benot Ya’akov is the only site [from this period] with secure evidence of fire,” she told The Times of Israel over the telephone.
“In the past, we had identified fish teeth that had been exposed to heat, indicating that the fish was cooked, and also clusters of burnt flint fragments,” she added. “Now we have charcoals, so we have three lines of evidence.”
Asked whether fire had been used for purposes other than cooking, Goren-Inbar said it is probable, but the researchers have not identified any direct evidence of it.
Gesher Benot Ya’akov has been excavated for several decades. The site has been dated using the Earth’s magnetic field — a constantly shifting invisible shield stemming from magnetic ore in the Earth’s core. Archaeologists found evidence testifying to the shift that occurred around 780,000 years ago.
They also identified some 20 archaeological layers, indicating that early humans had returned to Gesher Benot Ya’akov........