Turns out, early humans preferred smoked meat to cooked meat. Or they might have, according to a new theory from researchers at Tel Aviv University. Published in a paper in Frontiers in Nutrition, the theory suggests that early humans turned to fires not only to cook their meat but also to protect it from predators and scavengers, and to preserve it through smoking for longer periods of time.
“In this study, we propose a new understanding of the factors that motivated early humans to begin using fire: the need to safeguard large hunted animals from other predators and to preserve the vast quantity of meat,” said Ran Barkai, a paper author and researcher at Tel Aviv University, according to a press release.
Read More: From Growing Crops to Cooking Food, Fire Shaped Ancient Civilizations
