New Study Reveals Humans Have Smoked Meat for Nearly 2 Million Years

A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from Tel Aviv University suggests that humans may have been smoking and preserving meat for nearly 2 million years, significantly earlier than previously thought. The findings indicate that this practice could have been a primary motivation for early humans to learn how to create and maintain fire, which played a crucial role in human evolution.

The study, published in the journal *Frontiers in Nutrition* on June 15, 2025, explores nine archaeological sites across South Africa, Kenya, Israel, Ethiopia, and Spain. The researchers examined animal remains found in these locations, some dating back almost 2 million years, to establish a link between meat preservation and the use of fire. According to Dr. Miki Ben-Dor, a paleoanthropologist at Tel Aviv University, “The process of gathering fuel, igniting a fire, and maintaining it over time required significant effort, and they needed a compelling, energy-efficient motive to do so.”

The significance of this study lies in its implications for understanding early human behavior and survival strategies. The researchers argue that the benefits of preserving meat through smoking and drying would have far outweighed the energy costs of maintaining a fire. Not only did smoking meat help in prolonging its shelf life, but it also deterred scavengers, thus ensuring that early humans could safeguard their food sources.

Dr. Ran Barkai, an archaeologist involved in the research, states, “It is likely that once the fire was produced for these purposes, it was also occasionally used for cooking – at zero marginal energetic cost.” This effectively means that the early humans did not just use fire for warmth or immediate cooking; rather, the preservation of large game meat was a significant driving factor in their fire usage.

The researchers also calculated the energy gains associated with consuming large game meat immediately versus preserving it. They found that an ancient elephant, for instance, could provide sustenance for dozens of individuals for up to three months. This considerable caloric return would incentivize early humans to invest the time and energy into fire-making capabilities.

The analysis of the archaeological sites included in the study revealed that wherever evidence of fire was present, large animal remains were also found. This correlation supports the hypothesis that smoking meat was a practical application of fire usage in early human societies. While fire is often associated with warmth and cooking, the need for food preservation appears to be a critical overlooked aspect of early human life.

This study sheds light on an essential aspect of human evolution, suggesting that the practice of smoking meat could have been integral to the survival and development of early human communities. As such, the researchers advocate for a reassessment of how fire was utilized in our ancestral history, emphasizing the importance of food preservation in shaping human behavior and societal structures.

The implications of this research extend beyond understanding our ancient past. They highlight the foundational role that food preservation methods, such as smoking, played in human survival and the development of social groups around shared food resources. As we continue to study our ancestors, insights like these offer a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between humans and their environment, particularly how early innovations laid the groundwork for modern practices in food preservation.