Early Humans Placed the Hearth at the Optimal Location in Their Cave 170,000 Years Ago

upstart writes:

Early Humans Placed the Hearth at the Optimal Location in Their Cave 170,000 Years Ago:

A groundbreaking study in prehistoric archaeology at Tel Aviv University provides evidence for high cognitive abilities in early humans who lived 170,000 years ago. In a first-of-its kind study, the researchers developed a software-based smoke dispersal simulation model and applied it to a known prehistoric site. They discovered that the early humans who occupied the cave had placed their hearth at the optimal location - enabling maximum utilization of the fire for their activities and needs while exposing them to a minimal amount of smoke.

[...] Yafit Kedar: "One focal issue in the debate is the location of hearths in caves occupied by early humans for long periods of time. Multilayered hearths have been found in many caves, indicating that fires had been lit at the same spot over many years. In previous studies, using a software-based model of air circulation in caves, along with a simulator of smoke dispersal in a closed space, we found that the optimal location for minimal smoke exposure in the winter was at the back of the cave. The least favorable location was the cave's entrance."

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