Fire & cooking (was Correct Interpretation of Evolution and Raw Eating)

[Guest guest]

> The cave persons probably made a

> big leap forward when they discovered how to rub two pieces of wood to

> make a fire. They were probably soon boiling leaves in wooden pots and

> drinking tea after that, especially when it got cold. It just seems to

> follow logically. Maybe they were making vegetable stews as well as

> Dr.

> Fuhrman recommends.

 

I beg to differ about the boiling soon after discovering fire. After

consuming only raw foods for millions of years, I suspect early

humans would have had no idea to actually alter their food by heating

it. The concept of eating something warm hadn't been born yet. I

suspect the first cooked food was an accident such as discovering a

food, such as a fruit or other vegetable (even an animal?) cooked in

a brush or forrest fire. Perhaps after discovering fire and having

migrated to northern climates and after having some of their food

frozen in the cold, they tried warming it next to the fire, which

started the cooking of food. While it's clear that cooking came after

fire, we don't know how long that was. The biggest motivation for

fire would have been for heat (warmth). If they were cold and hungry,

they'd be motivated to keep warm. They'd have no clue to alter their

food by heat (IMO).

 

The first fire was probably happened upon. It may be that entire

generations went by having never seen fire. Other than on TV, I've

only seen a few brush fires up close in my lifetime. And that has

been while using modern travel methods. When our ancestors were

traveling by foot, they would not have seen as much, including

forrest or brush fires (or single lightning strikes, such as one tree

on fire.) I speculate that the very first fireplace would have been

after discovering a fire, realizing that wood burns, then pulling

some branches together to harness a fire. Once the fire went out,

that was it for the first fire. Maybe they awoke in the morning to

find no more fire. The next time they found a fire (that is, the

first generation to see multiple fires in one generation AND harness

a fire) they likely realized they would have to keep adding wood

(fuel) to the fire to keep it going. Early fire-enjoying humans would

have had individuals assigned to keep the fire going 24/7, otherwise

that was it until they found another fire. Eventually, they figured

out a variety of methods to start fires. While it's possible they

discovered fire by rubbing sticks or throwing flint rocks, etc., I

suspect they found a fire first, then discovered the methods for

creating it later, AFTER they had developed a motivation for it

(cold) and had been enjoying its benefits. For me, the question is

still how long after the first fire (place) was made was first food

cooked. I believe it was long after, since it probably had never

occurred to them to alter their food by heat. It maybe easy for us to

think a warm food would be nice in the cool/cold weather, but prior

to that first cooked food, they hadn't experienced it yet.

 

Prior to the discovery of the 2 million year old fireplace, the first

fire was placed around 800,000 years (? someone have the correct

figure), so it looks like it was a very long time before the use of

fire was consistent. I suspect it was also a long time before food

was cooked, though it is possible it was soon after. But then it

would have been a long wait for their second cooked meal!

 

Jeff