The first evidence of controlled use of fire by prehistoric humans during the Middle Paleolithic phase from the Indian subcontinent

The sedimentary deposits of the Lower Paleolithic to Neolithic sites situated in the Belan valley, north-central India offer a unique opportunity to understand the linkage between the prehistoric human environment and fire events. This is the first study to analyse macroscopic charcoal particles from 64 paleosols collected from six archaeological sites in the Belan valley to reconstruct fire activity. Accumulation of macroscopic charcoal particles in woody ecosystem during period of high rainfall, which likely suppressed natural forest fire, suggests prehistoric human-induced fire occurred during similar to 55 to 50 ka at the Main Belan archaeological site. Comparison with other records of human-induced fire suggests that the Belan valley's record is the first known and reported evidence of fire used by prehistoric humans during the Middle Paleolithic phase from the Indian subcontinent. Fire activity peaked during the Early to Mid-Holocene (similar to 10 to 5 ka) period, which overlaps with the timing of agricultural practices in the Belan valley. The use of fire was persistent from Middle Paleolithic to Neolithic, which suggests a smooth transfer of knowledge from the earlier prehistoric populations to the later farming communities. The global compilation of fire records from archaeological sites also suggests that the prehistoric humans exploited and controlled fire more regularly and frequently since the Middle Pleistocene.

Automated summary

The study on macroscopic charcoal particles in the Belan valley reveals the use of fire by prehistoric humans from the Middle Paleolithic to Neolithic, with a peak in fire activity during the Early to Mid-Holocene period coinciding with agricultural practices in the region. The global compilation of fire records from archaeological sites suggests a consistent and frequent use of fire by prehistoric humans since the Middle Pleistocene.