When did our human ancestors begin using fire to cook food?

Question

I've always found it interesting that humans are the only creatures on Earth that cook food with fire and I've often wondered if eating cooked food could have in any way contributed to our modern human state?

Answer 1

When the microwave was broken, when the stove fell apart, when the cold food industry ran into e-coli from not washing hands or feet properly and People got sick due to bacterial infections from the things they consumed.

Answer 2

Look up"A southern american guide to caveman barbecueing".

It's in the Home Depot food section.

Answer 3

the first time man saw a lighting bolt hit the dry wood. started fire, to keep them selves warm, then they figured why not cook the meat. only problem they had no pot and pans to cook with. they ate a lot of dirt. that took a long time to invent.

...................................   ; -)

Answer 4

Granted that the contained use of fire has been around to provide warmth, and mental stimulation for half a million years, or so, and there may have been isolated incidences of eating burnt foods, either accidentally or intentionally, however, the only reason to regularly cook foods was from the onset of farming grains at the same location for several consecutive years, which took place within the past 20,000 years or so...

Not only did the experimental consumption of cereal grains crrespond with the first successful human Blood Type mutation (A), but it also demanded the production of a greater variety of uses; as breads, cereals, soups as well as beer-making...

Answer 5

Cooked food is less rich in nutrients. Fires in SA - Zulu poeple - were lighted by a wood called 'Uzwathi' - thats how.

Answer 6

a long time ago

Answer 7

At our current level of knowledge, we might think fire contributed to our modern human state. We might be equally justified in drawing the conclusion that it was a product of our evolution, and not a driving force in itself.

At any rate, the earliest evidence we have of controlled use of fire dates to about 800,000 years ago in Africa, which identifies the fire starters as probably Homo Erectus. There is weaker evidence that it may have been used 1.5 million years ago, but no strong consensus on that. Fire was apparently used in controlled circumstances in the interior of Asia (China) as early as 400,000 years ago, give or take.

As for the effects of fire, I've heard every theory on the spectrum, I think. Some say cooked food was responsible for the rapid growth of the human brain, and the success of the hominid line. I've heard others say that cooked food was the worst thing we ever invented (eating meat too, for that matter). There's a good theory that the first respiratory diseases started to take hold in humans about the time they started making fires. Obviously, we're just not able to adequately evaluate exactly how the use of fire was initiated, or its full effects on those who did it. But it was a big change, and the fact that we used fire up into historical times is evidence of its success, or at least evidence that people like hot food.

Answer 8

According to the archaeological evidence, the use of fire predates the genus: "Homo", and was used by Australopithecines for tens of thousands of years.

Answer 9

This is a good question.  In my opinion, our ancestors started using fire at about the same time when they started using other natural phenomena for feeding themselves, such as soil for growing plants and animals for providing themselves with meat and milk.  I will explain why I think so.

The human history can be divided into several periods according to how our ancestors provided themselves with the means of subsistence:

1. The period when our ancestors only GATHERED foods that already existed (for example, when they caught fish and gathered fruit, nuts and roots of plants for eating).

2. The period when they USED NATURE for providing themselves with food (by purposefully sowing seeds and growing plants and breeding animals for milk and meat).  

3. The period when people mostly PRODUCED their means of subsistence by using industries, technology and science for maximizing nature's abilities.  

Most likely, the use of fire became necessary and possible at the end of the 1 period.

Answer 10

All of you shut up prometheus gave us fire.

Answer 11

Roughly some 40,000 years back.

Answer 12

Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus may have been the first species to use fire.  Circular burned areas have been found in conjunction with H. erectus remains.  It's not conclusive, but it IS suggestive.

H. erectus (ergaster, for the splitters) was also the first documented species to migrate out of Africa.  It is possible that fire aided the move into cooler climates.

During the span of H. Erectus (over a million years!), we see a gradual linear increase in brain size, with later erecti having a brain capacity that is at the small end of "average" for us.  Several anthropologists have hypothesized that the quality proteins from cooked meat facilitated this drastic growth.

If they are correct, then yes, cooked food contributed greatly to our modern human state.

Answer 13

Oh!  I dont know cause' I was not there when they did it.