How did cavemen make fire?

Question

rub two sticks together?

Answer 1

The fire fires were obtained from fires caused by lightning strikes. Working stone to produce stone tools created sparks so it was learned to use stones and sparks to make fire. Working wood produced heat and using drills to make holes produced embers. Again this fact was used to make fire.

Generally it's easier to start a fire from an ember rather then trying to make it. Many Plains Indians had a designated fire carrier. He would place an ember into a buffalo horn on a bed of dry moss, More moss would be added and the horn carried. The ember would smolder and remain lite. A small hole provided air and the fire carrier could be easily identified by the thin trail of smoke that followed him.

Once at a campsite the ember would be placed in a bed of tinder and blown into a flame. Some of the best tinder came from the nests of mice. To keep it dry, many tribes made a waterproof bag from the bladder of the porcupine.

When no ember was available fire could be made in several ways. The famous "rubbing two sticks together doesn't work!  To make fire you require pressure and friction. The two combine to create an ember and that smoldering ember us use to make flame.

The fire drill was often used. This is a stick that is spun on a flat board. The board has an indentation and a cut into it. As the stick spins, wood is rubbed off and deposited in the notch. As the friction and pressure continues an ember is formed.

The problem is that each time one spins the stick, your hands drop further down it. Finally you have to stop (however briefly) and move you hands up. This stops the pressure and slows the ignition. You can avoid this by placing a string over the top of the stick and adding loops for you thumbs. This way you hands remain in the same place.

The bow drill is an improvement on the fire drill. This takes the original design and adds a bow with a loose string. The string is wrapped around the stick and a cup made of rock, or wood (I've even seen a shotglass) is used to hold the stick and place pressure. This allows a faster ignition as the bow spins the stick quickly and the other hand applies pressure

The pump drill is the fastest of the fire drill designs. First a weight is added to the stick. Then a flat board with a hold in the middle is placed over the stick. Finally a cord is run from each end of the stick and looked over the top of the stick. You wrapped the cord by turning the stick, Then you push down and release. This causes the stick to spin, winding and unwinding the cord. There's a constant pressure from both hands. Using this design I've been able to "get smoke" is a few seconds.

The wood used is important. The fireboard needs to be "punky" That is you can mark the wood with a fingernail. The drill needs to be harder but too hard and it will just cut through the board. lastly, wood with resin or sap doesn't work.

The flint and steel traded to the Native Americans was very popular. It allows you to have smoke in seconds and often with just one strike. Going with the kit was "char" this is cotton cloth that's been cooked into carbon. One spark will ignite it and you use jute (think brown cord) as tinder.

The fastest method is the fire piston. It works on the same principle as the diesel engine. Compress air and the char ignites. The piston is a wood dowel that fits tightly into a hole. You place the char on the end of the dowel and shove the piston down. Immediately pull the piston out and you have fire! The fire piston is found in areas that have bamboo and used blowguns.

Answer 2

Possibly by rubbing sticks,or using a flint strike-a-light (hitting flint against another stone to produce sparks.)

Answer 3

He did not  make it he found a use for it

he had to keep a ember alive

No one was alive that thought of putting down thing we did today back then that is usable today.

Only pictures of things like an artist would.

Till some where till latter in the elocution of man when one of them found the results of friction,

and then the results of striking two stones together

So to make it add up you have to know all the posibilies of how to use what you have on hand



1+1=11 or does it mean 1+1=2

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Answer 4

It is thought that at first it was due to a lightning strike and they just kept it going, never letting it go out.  After various studies they also thought they realized that when a certain stone was hit by another stone it caused the same type of spark.  Hope that helps