12/13/2025
Exciting new research published in Nature has documented the earliest known evidence of controlled fire use by neanderthals, and I am proud to say that one of my publications was cited in the study! My research, which involved the high-temperature inversion of magnetite/maghemite to hematite under oxidative conditions, was conducted to understand why magnetic survey failed to detect archaeological hearths during a Phase III archaeological mitigation in southern California. The mitigation was done to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act prior to site destruction for development.
Subsequent laboratory research took place at the Institute for Rock Magnetism (IRM) at the University of Minnesota, a publicly funded research institution. The IRM is partially funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
I mention all of this to make the following observations. The Trump Administration is currently debating the merits of the NRHP, with the intention of bypassing or sidestepping many Section 106 requirements. At the same time, the value of public funding for science is being questioned by elements of the US public and the current administration. I would have never guessed that (unsuccessful) geophysical survey during a routine Section 106 compliance project could have eventually helped lay the groundwork for a major scientific advancement in our understanding of human evolution, but it did, and this is how science works. And all of this was made possible due to laws and policies of the United States that are currently under threat. Their loss would be a blow to global science; therefore, I urge you all to contact your elected representatives and express support for scientific funding.
Baked sediment, heat-shattered artefacts and introduced pyrite in a 400,000-year-old Palaeolithic occupation site in Suffolk, UK provide evidence of intentional fire-making, marking a pivotal moment in human development.
