Gathering at the hearth

During this time period, early humans gathered around campfires that they made and controlled -- perhaps to socialize, to find comfort and warmth, to share food and information, and to find safety from predators. Scientists found this debris from stone toolmaking that had been scorched by fire at the site of Gesher Benot-Ya’aqov, Israel. Close by were concentrations of burned seeds and wood, marking the location of early hearths.