Re: Earliest evidence of fire question

sgf (sfolse@odin.cair.du.edu)
4 Aug 1996 19:19:13 GMT

In article <4tqhes$opf@portal.gmu.edu>,
HARRY R. ERWIN <herwin@mason2.gmu.edu> wrote:
>Tom Zaranek (target@mail.orbonline.net) wrote:
>: My friend (does not have email access) is looking for any information
>: regarding the earliest evidence of fire by the hominid.
>
>As I've mentioned before, Lee Talbot argues on ecological grounds for
>about 3 MYr BP. He points out that almost all brushfires in East Africa
>are started by man, and that the open savannah in East Africa is only kept
>open by burning. Hence evidence for extensive open savannah (3 MYr BP in
>East Africa) is evidence for burning and so for human use of fire. Of
>course, he's an ecologist, so what does he know?

Except, perhaps, for the open fires started by lightning?

(Although I lived in the Serengeti Park for two years and, at least
around *us*, no lightning started fires. But that doesn't mean that it
didn't some time in the past 3 MY.)

--Stephanie

-- 

               sfolse@odin.cair.du.edu <*> http://phoebe.cair.du.edu/~sfolse/

"Assiduous and frequent questioning is indeed the first key to wisdom ...for 

by doubting we come to inquiry; through inquiring we perceive the truth..."

     --Peter Abelard        (..........I claim this .sig for Queen Elizabeth)