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The fireplace occupied a central place in our apartment: as a child I loved to play on the stone surround, sometimes raclette cheese would melt next to the open fire, and on Sundays my parents would sit in front of it and watch. into the fire and drinking coffee. Excitement only occurred when the embers from the pine log spread across the carpet or when the smoke did not exit properly and went back into the room. Otherwise it was a cozy place.
“It’s like going on a boat ride together or traveling in a car,” writes German science journalist Jutta von Campenhausen (53) in her new book “The Fireplace and the Good Life.” “You don’t have to say when there’s something to see and you’re moving.” In the same way, you don’t have to talk when you sit next to a fire and watch the flames dance. “The relaxed calm that ensues often leads to special conversations.”
A trained biologist and anthropologist writes fascinatingly about the development of the special relationship between people and fire. “What is certain is that humans are the only living creatures that actively use fire,” writes von Campenhausen, “while animals usually flee from flames and embers.” Fire plays an important role in the development of many human qualities: it makes raw food edible or preserved, it is a platform for the telling of myths and fairy tales, as well as for religious ceremonies.
Two sites in Africa are considered the oldest evidence of such use: in Kenya and South Africa, hominids are said to have practiced the use of fire 1.4–1.5 million years ago. They used forest or steppe fires after lightning strikes. It will be some time before people can start their own fires: a Neanderthal cave was found during an excavation in France containing 35,000-year-old charcoal, as well as pyrite and flint—“the oldest lighter in the world,” says von Campenhausen.
When the people calmed down, they brought the fire into their homes. “In simple houses, the hearth is the most complex structure in the building,” writes von Campenhausen. “This is where technological and cultural history come together.” Originally the stove was located in the center of the house, where smoke filled the room and exited through the thatched roof, but later closed chimneys were built. Von Campenhausen: “In order for such fireplaces to be firmly integrated into the house, the hearth fire had to be located on an external wall.”
The era of the universal oven, responsible for cooking and heating, ended in the late Middle Ages. If the cooking area in the kitchen served its function, the fireplace became the decoration of the living room. “Until the 14th century, the use of a fireplace was the privilege of the nobility and high clergy,” writes von Campenhausen. “And only then did he appear in the houses of rich townspeople.” A fire in the living room creates atmosphere even in the most modern home and, above all, is attractive.
Source: Blick
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
