Toward a Long Prehistory of Fire
@article{Chazan2017TowardAL, title={Toward a Long Prehistory of Fire}, author={Michael Chazan}, journal={Current Anthropology}, year={2017}, volume={58}, pages={S351 - S359} }
This article explores a conception of the origins of fire as a process of shifting human interactions with fire, a process that, in a sense, still continues today. This is a counterpoint to the dominant narrative that envisions a point of “discovery” or “invention” for fire. Following a discussion about what fire is and how it articulates with human society, I propose a potential scenario for the prehistory of fire, consisting of three major stages of development. From this perspective…
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