Framework of research

The discussion in the previous chapter of the evidence for the early use of fire has demonstrated the complexities involved in identifying the early stages of human control over fire and emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to their study. The presence of burned flint items at the site of GBY provides a unique opportunity to investigate this pressing issue with a different methodological approach. This methodology draws on a variety of ethnographic, archaeological, and ethnoarchaeological studies, which generally suggest that small lithic products can be used as spatial indicators for a variety of activities, including the use of fire in the form of hearths. The theoretical foundations of this approach are presented in this chapter, which integrates the different components of the research program.