Tower and Town, April 2024 (view the full edition)Forging civilization: How fire has shaped humanityHumanity's unique ability to manipulate fire is arguably the quality that has separated us most from all other lifeforms. Although we still don't know the exact origins of our control over it, it has been scientifically proven that our brain structure has evolved to best utilize the benefits of fire and therefore left us dependent on its properties. However, this comes at a devastating cost of mass destruction: forest fires have eradicated vast areas of the globe whilst taking hundreds of lives each year. Yet fire is not only a tool for destruction; both fire and its uses in combustion have fueled the world's innovation and industry for the past two hundred years.
The period of time in which humans began manipulating fire remains a mystery. Of the few ancient human relatives to have been discovered only a small handful have shown any traces of controlling fire, however across some archeological sites charred animal bones have been found near to the archaic human remnants. Although unlikely due to the time distortion of fossils, these could potentially reveal signs of cooking and be the start of a complex human evolution towards not only manipulating fire but our whole environment as we do now. Some anthropologists and biologists believe that fire was one of the main factors to have kickstarted our route to becoming the planet's apex species through the revolutionary advantages it has if used properly. Cooking food immensely benefits humans as it partially breaks down both meat and vegetables as it breaks down cell walls and denaturing proteins, therefore making meals easier to digest. Furthermore, cooking also increases nutrients' availability whilst simultaneously destroying harmful microbes; hence meaning that human digestion required less energy whilst extracting more nutrients for each meal. These extra calorie benefits were primarily used for development and usage of the brain. This mental and physical boost therefore gave humans more time and energy for inventing or making tools, socializing and other productive activities.
The mystical properties of the complex natural phenomenon were bound to attract religions and mythical tales in order to explain the vastly incomprehensible science behind combustion. Fire was perceived by many religions as a unique gift from the gods. Fire's abilities to be manipulated in countless ways made it a super tool for people as it massively increased the efficiency of so many tasks, therefore it is easy to understand why fire was seen as a supernatural gift. Faiths such as Zoroastrianism from Iran believe that fire is the holy link between the heavens and the earth. Within these various religions fire plays a key role within ceremonies, funerals, celebration and worship, this also links to the huge psychological benefits brought by a hearth. Ceremonial fires would have been used as they give security, calming and a sense of empowerment to many, whilst also create strong smells such as incense which fill the room with warmth and a sense of holiness. Within survival lighting a fire is one of the most important steps to staying alive as it is such a useful tool for cooking, disinfecting and defending yourself whilst giving a mental boost of confidence and strength.
The innovation brought by fire from the Bronze Age to the present allowed us to become the dominant species we are. This however has led to a dependency on combustion, almost every single manufacturing industry is powered through combustion, everything artificial can be directly linked to the fire. Although our greatest tool for efficiency and innovation, we have begun to overuse and abuse our privilege and therefore we will soon have to pay the price for our success. With fire having given humanity access to so many resources, it is equally able to destroy. Forest fires have become an increasing problem in many countries, such as America, Australia and Canada, where millions of acres are being scorched each year. Last year alone the size of Thailand was left barren by raging forest fires, the figure of 23 million acres last year is only set to rise by 4% annually, that is an increase of 568,000 acres each year. It seems as if the phenomenon that built human civilization might also lead to our downfall as the destruction of global warming grows evermore present.
The importance of fire has not only been overlooked but also misunderstood. Our modern civilization was forged by flame as it has been the ultimate tool for our success, we have manipulated it for ourselves whilst it has also molded us and enabled the regular species of homo sapiens to become a global hyperpower. Fire controls our world and will change the earth long after we are gone, for such a simple chemical equation it has forged some of the most complex innovations on our planet. To conclude, our first ancestor who rubbed two sticks together to create the world's first flame was not only a world-changing genius but the father of all mankind. William F (R; Yr10) |