Nov. 9, 2024, 7:12 a.m.
Around 400,000 BCE, Homo heidelbergensis built the earliest known shelters, such as oval huts with hearths, seen at Terra Amata in France. While early humans also used caves, constructing shelters provided protection and convenience near resources, supporting survival and innovation. Building shelter became essential, second only to agriculture in necessity, shaping early human development.
Around 400,000 BCE, Homo heidelbergensis built the earliest known shelters, such as oval huts with hearths, seen at Terra Amata in France. While early humans also used caves, constructing shelters provided protection and convenience near resources, supporting survival and innovation. Building shelter became essential, second only to agriculture in necessity, shaping early human development.
1. Early Shelter Construction: Around 400,000 BCE, Homo heidelbergensis, an ancestor of either Homo sapiens or Neanderthals, built some of the first known shelters.
2. Terra Amata Site: Archaeologists found the earliest evidence of built shelters at the Terra Amata site in France, where large oval hut foundations were discovered, dating back approximately 400,000 years.
3. Use of Hearths: One hut at Terra Amata showed signs of fire use in a hearth, suggesting early humans controlled fire within shelters, though some debate exists about whether these fires were natural or human-made.
4. Cave Use: While humans used caves for protection, caves are geographically limited, making constructed shelters vital in areas without natural cave protection.
5. Protection and Proximity: Built shelters provided safety from harsh elements and dangerous animals and allowed early humans to live closer to essential resources like food and water.
6. Benefits for Innovation: Staying near resources gave early humans more time to experiment, leading to new inventions and survival strategies.
7. Long-Term Impact: Creating and controlling shelter was, next to agriculture, one of the most crucial advancements for early humans, supporting their survival, innovation, and eventual societal development.