21 May 2026
When did humans have the technology to make fire? Recently, the answer to that question has changed – pushing the date back from 50,000 years ago to 400,000 years ago.

But how do we know this? Join John Harding as he meets the team behind this groundbreaking discovery. They show us where this fire took place, the evidence that confirms that humans were making this fire, and tell us why this is such a significant discovery, and why the control of fire was such an important moment in our shared human past.

Special thanks to:
Nicholas Ashton
Claire Lucas
Sally Hoare and the University of Liverpool
Jordan Mansfield
Samuel Groth

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:04 The excavation site
02:43 Finding the fire
04:29 Other key evidence
08:39 Using magnetism
11:38 Hydrocarbons
13:03 Why is fire important for humans?

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