Lesotho’s Mountain Life Was Harsh for Early Humans – Fire Made All the Difference

When imagining our early human ancestors in prehistoric Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago, one might envision trekkers plodding across a savanna, baking under an equatorial sun.

Research, however, suggests that our species’ unique strengths – creativity, cooperation and adaptability – may have been honed in a very different environment. Our team of archaeologists has uncovered a story in which mountainous landscapes played a central role in making us human.

Today, those of us who like to…