Neanderthals Brought The First Fire

New discoveries in the northwest of England show that Neanderthals—and not Homo sapiens—were the first to engage in controlled, deliberate fire use 400,000 years ago. The previous known use of deliberate fire activity came from France—but only about 50,000 years ago. What this means is that our cousins in the human chain were the first to figure out that flint and pyrite could ignite twigs and sticks—and they did it 350,000 years sooner than us. 

Controlling fire—and not just using random fire from lightening strikes or wildfires—allowed Neanderthals to warm themselves and cook food. It also allowed them to wander the landscape, no longer chained to one spot. Now, they could carry their knowledge of fire-making anywhere.

While Neanderthals and Homo sapiens do share a common ancestor, their lineages are definitely distinct. Eventually, Homo sapiens won out in the competition with Neanderthals and emerged as the “modern” human we all are today. 

But doesn’t it seem a bit ironic that we’ve used the term “neanderthal” to represent an unsophisticated human? Because in fact, they beat us to the punch on one of the most important milestones of evolution. It brings to mind the Billy Joel composition, “We Didn’t Start The Fire”. Indeed, we did not.

The Queen's American Rangers

In 1775—250 years ago—American colonists loyal to the British Crown formed about 50 irregular military units to battle against the upstart revolutionaries of the Continental Army. By mid-1776, these loyalist groups coalesced into a single unit—named the Queen’s American Rangers (in honor of King George’s wife Charlotte). 

These loyalist troops came mainly from New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. They totaled about 1,000 strong, plus additional cavalry regiments. While suffering early defeats, the Rangers turned the tide at the Battle of Brandywine—successfully attacking entrenched American positions. After that, they became some of the most effective British troops of the War.

Later in the War, more formalized loyalist units were formed, most notably the American Legion. The commanding officer of those troops was a former revolutionary and then British Brigadier General you may have heard of—Benedict Arnold. But early on, it was these irregular units that quickly formed—who felt just as strongly against revolution as the vaunted Minutemen felt strongly for it.