Skip to main content Skip to article View  PDF Under a Creative Commons license Open access Highlights • Charcoal was recovered from the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov. • Analysis identified early Middle Pleistocene trees, shrubs, sedges and reeds. • Taxonomy included Fraxinus , Vitis , Olea , Quercus , Pistacia , and Punica granatum . • Identified habitats included lakeshore, open woodland, and semi-open woodland. • Acheulian hominins gathered firewood from available driftwood. Abstract The control of fire offered early hominins significant advantages, yet its identification in early archaeological sites is challenging. A new anthracological study at the early Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) offers valuable insights from an exceptionally large assemblage of charcoal. Taxonomic analysis reveals a diverse range of habitats, including species such as Fraxinus , Salix , Vitis , Nerium , Olea , Quercus , Pistacia , and Punica granatum .…