Discovery of Fire | The Origin of Fire, History and Curiosities

Be it in the form of a bonfire, pyrotechnics , from burning a Valencian failure or the simple flame of a candle, the fire fascinates us and attracts our attention, especially if it is cut against the darkness of the night. This spell may have to do with the fact that, according to experts, fire is one of the most important elements in human evolution. That is why today, in Supercurioso, we want you to accompany us to know the discovery of fire, the origin of fire, its history and other curiosities.

There have been many civilizations that have deified fire; the God of fire has been present in many ancient mythologies and he has been worshiped in different ways. Hephaestus, Vulcan or Xiuhtecuhtli are some of the most popular names. Perhaps because of this importance in the collective imagination, it is also very common to dream about this element: if this is your case, do not miss the most common interpretations about Dreaming of Fire .

The discovery of Fire: Origin, History and Curiosities

Discovery of Fire

If our brain could evolve, it was thanks to the fact that our organism, by consuming cooked food, could dedicate energy to the nervous system. Yes Water is vital for the human being, fire is basic in its development . Join us to discover everything about him!

1. What is fire

The fire is " the set of incandescent particles or molecules of combustible matter, capable of emitting heat and visible light, product of a chemical reaction of accelerated oxidation " For the ancient Greeks and, for centuries after them throughout Europe, fire was one of the four basic elements that represented the known forms of matter along with water, earth and air.

2. Discovery of fire

Discovery of Fire 1

Evidently, the fire already existed when "it was discovered". When we talk about the discovery of fire or the origin of fire, we refer to the moment in which it was dominated by hominids, although it was already used by them millennia earlier in some parts of the world.

When was the fire discovered?

The fire was discovered about 800,000 years ago as shown by the different settlements of that time studied.

Who discovered the fire?

The fire was discovered by the "Homo Erectus" . Homo Erectus not only knew how to make a fire, but he used it for several things as well as warming up like defending himself and lighting up at night or cooking his food and making the tools he needed.

How was the fire discovered?

The discovery of the fire was gradual and historians believe that it developed in several stages. First, they simply kept fires in areas near which they could establish a base camp, later believe that the fire was kept extracted from areas where there had been a fire and they learned to control it by surrounding it with stones or concentrating it in a home. It was not until many millennia after the discovery of fire led to the ability to generate it at will with some friction device.

3. The history from the origin of fire for the human being

Discovery of Fire 2

As we have said, the discovery of fire and its control marks a turning point in human history. Thanks to this, it obtained a series of advantages (heat, light, protection, food cooking, etc.) and allowed its evolution thanks to the fact that it improved the absorption of carbohydrates and proteins when consuming cooked foods.

After the first discovery, the history of fire brings us back to its domain and especially to the difficulty of turning it on at will . Religions became the guardians of fire and sanctuaries were created in which a perpetual flame was maintained. The cult to the fire came by the identification of this with the Sun and believed that it had been brought from the sky, as it happened in the myth of Prometheus . Fire became a divinity in many ancient religions.

In more recent times, Freemasons were the only official group that has somehow maintained a cult of fire. It is one of its symbols and one of the four elements present in the works of the lodges that recognize a double slope: lighting and purification.

4. The importance of fire in human evolution

In addition to all the advantages that we have listed, experts argue that Fire was vital for human evolution because of its relation to the cooking of food. This fact not only doubled the years of life due to the improvements that were, among which are the cooking of healing tisanes or the destruction of bacteria and food parasites, but allowed the development of the brain.

Cooked foods reduce the energy cost of digestion and primatologists such as Dr. Richard Wrangham of Harvard University believe that in this way increased brain capacity by allowing complex carbohydrates to be digested more easily and indirectly favored the development of the nervous system.

5. Curiosities of the fire

Discovery of Fire 3

  • The flames are different colors depending on the amount of oxygen. A low fire in this element will be yellow and one high in oxygen will burn in blue tones.
  • You can light a fire with ice if you can use a fragment of it as if it were a magnifying glass. Curious, is not it?
  • The matches were accidentally invented by the English chemist and pharmacist John Walker.
  • In just 30 seconds a fire can become almost impossible to control.
  • In fires, fire spreads faster uphill than down. The steeper the terrain, the faster it advances.

Besides the Origin of Fire, you will also be interested ...

If you liked to accompany us in our entry about the origin of the fire and its discovery, we propose a series of articles that may also be interesting:

  • The mystery of the will-o'-the-wisps
  • Tornado of fire or "finger of the devil": EXISTS

Our ancestors discovered and dominated the fire and there began the race towards humanization, thus becoming a basic link in our evolution. Did you know how the discovery of the fire had occurred? Do you have more information about the origin of the fire or do you know other curiosities? Comprise them with us! ð ??????


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