London – Since humankind first discovered and learned to control fire, it has been used for protection, cooking, warmth, metalworking, and social gatherings. But beyond its practical uses, fire has also carried deep symbolic meaning, often tied to the journey into the afterlife.
A recent study by the University of Trento, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, reveals that as early as the Early Neolithic, fire was used as a tool for transforming human remains — a precursor to later cremation practices.