Ancient Wisdom: The Surprising Technique of Stone Age Humans Preserving Meat with Fire

1 "Fire = Cooking": A New Hypothesis That Challenges Conventional Wisdom

Fire is an indispensable factor in discussing human evolution. Traditionally, Richard Wrangham's "Cooking Hypothesis," which posits that heating food with fire increased caloric intake and secured the energy necessary for the development of the neocortex, has been the textbook theory. However, a groundbreaking paper published in June 2025 presents a challenging idea that "rearranges the timeline" of this hypothesis—suggesting that the initial use of fire was for preservation (smoking and drying), with cooking being a derivative of that. phys.orgresearchgate.net

2 The Research Setting: Qesem Cave, Israel

Located in central Israel, Qesem Cave is known as a rare site that was continuously inhabited from about 420,000 to 200,000 years ago. To date,

• Evidence of long-term maintenance of a central hearth

• Traces of large animal bones being broken to consume marrow at a later date

• Evidence of preservation activities using ash
  and other diverse "fire and food" evidence have been reported. This study is groundbreaking in that it adds smoke analysis and quantitatively evaluates the possibility that "low-temperature, long-duration smoking" was a common practice, based on the stratigraphy of tar-like substances remaining on the cave ceiling. science.orgjournals.plos.org

3 Three Pieces of Evidence Indicating "Smoked Preservation"

1. Chemical Fingerprint of Smoke
   Decomposition by-products of long-chain fatty acids detected by FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) can only occur through "incomplete combustion by smoke," not drying. Simultaneously, the ratio of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), which indicate combustion temperature, pointed to the 200-300 °C range, much lower than the over 600 °C required for roasting.

2. Height of the Hearth Floor
   A space where smoke easily accumulated was created 20-30 cm above the fire traces, with concentrated carbonization marks believed to be remnants of racks made from branches and bones.

3. Bone Traces of "Later Disassembly"
   The ends of femur bones lacked marks of being "split open," indicating careful processing after preventing marrow decay. This is considered evidence of suppressing bacterial growth with smoke while disassembling as needed.

4 Preservation Was the "Refrigerator of the Hunting Society"

Paleolithic humans who hunted large prey inevitably had leftover meat that couldn't be consumed in one meal. The key to the group's survival was how to store this inventory without spoilage and prevent it from being taken by lions or hyenas. Covering it with smoke provided

• Suppression of Bacteria

• Reduction of Water Activity (aw value) through Drying

• Generation of Repellent Odor for Animals
  —threefold benefits. This technique is similar to modern jerky or dried fish, essentially serving as a "prehistoric refrigerator."researchgate.net

5 Bone Marrow Stock — Long-term Preservation of "Superfood"

In the past, evidence has been reported in the Kesem Cave that "bone marrow was preserved within bones and consumed weeks later by breaking them open." Bones serve as natural airtight containers, and their preservation can be further enhanced by filling the surroundings with smoke. Bone marrow, rich in lipids and minerals, was extremely useful as "strategic calories" during seasons with low hunting success rates. science.org

6 Redrawing the Timeline of Fire Use

When organizing the "preservation-first" model by age, it appears as shown in the diagram below.

Traditionally, discussions have started from the second period, but this study emphasizes the importance of the first period.

7 Japanese Social Media Buzzing! "The Oldest Human Food Loss Countermeasure"

Within 24 hours of the research announcement, related hashtags such as <#StoneAgeBBQ> and <#HumanityAndPreservedFood> temporarily recorded 3,000 posts per hour in the Japanese-speaking sphere of X (formerly Twitter). Here are some of the main voices:

• Outdoor Influencer"Mastering smoking was engraved in human DNA!"

• Registered Dietitian"Purpose of preservation → Low-temperature smoking → Oxidation prevention. It's exciting how similar this process is to modern meat processing."

• Archaeology Enthusiast"The perspective of discussing fire not as a 'stomach' but as a 'calendar' is refreshing."

• Environmental NGO"The evolution of preservation technology might have reduced hunting pressure and contributed to ecosystem conservation."

Positive evaluations, especially those related to "food loss reduction" and "SDGs," stood out.

Note: The SNS posts were aggregated from the timelines of public accounts. Individual usernames have been anonymized for citation.

8 The Emergence of "Social Design"

If meat can be preserved for a long time, there is no need to rush to consume it, leading to the establishment of a society based on "distribution and reunion." The research team suggests that smoke preservation

1. Rule-making for Food Sharing

2. Large-scale Hunting → Weekly Schedule

3. Role Distribution within the Group (Smoking Watch, Butchering Team)
   is thought to have induced community mechanisms and promoted cultural evolution.

9 "Preservation" and "Heating" Do Not Conflict

The new hypothesis is often discussed in a conflicting structure of "preservation first" and "cooking later," but in reality, they are complementary. If meat dried with smoke is roasted later, energy efficiency further increases. In other words, the dual use of "preservation → heating" was likely a signature technology of early humans. ja.wikipedia.org

10 Implications for the Modern Era──Local Food Culture and Sustainability

In Japan, there are many smoke-dried foods such as "smoked herring," "dried meat," and "katsuobushi." Researchers suggest that "prehistoric technology, with its 'low temperature, long duration, and natural fuel,' has a low environmental impact and could provide hints for modern decarbonized cooking methods."

Conclusion

Reinterpreting the advent of fire not as "magic that makes meat delicious" but as "wisdom to preserve leftover meat" turns a page in human history. Preserved food connected communities, bundled time, and even prepared the ground for the emergence of art and religion. The "Stone Age BBQ Revolution" not only ignites our kitchens and campsites but also lights the blueprint for sustainable future food.