On Tue, 27 Nov 2001 14:18:25 -0600, Thomas Gentles
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>>Esben Brun wrote.
>
>>DAWN   OF  HUMANITY:
>>Darkness on the savannah!
>>exept for the FIRE - warming and protecting  us
>>roasting the roots we dug up during the day
>>and melting the marrow in the bones we found.
>>The glowing  FIRE,  the darkness- the others.

I like Esben's quote.

>I'm sure our ancestors could have frightened lions and hyenas from killed
>animals as their fear of fire would likely have overcome their reluctance
>to leave the kill.

The main threat would have been not to be eaten themselves by the lions.
Wranghams theory sais exactely what you suppose.
Homo erectus controlled fire at 1.9MYA. This for own protection.
Tree climbing was not longer necessary.
Annother study suppuses that erectines were even able to start a fire.
Because stone flakes were found which are able to emit sparks, with
signs of a fire on them.


>Our ancestors could have done this once they mastered the ability to
>carry a source of fire.

I have seen how this looks in the Bozen museum of oetzi ("frozen fritz").
He carried glimming coals (from the last fire) in a little cylindrous
bag made of birch bark (between green leaves).

Why shouldn't erectines have made similar bags.
The "handaxes" they had might be appropiate for such a cutting work.
I once a one in my hand. Actually a small stone easyly fitting into a hand
with a small sharp cutting edge.

Amadeus S.