Creating Fire

Egyptians were among the first people in the ancient world to produce fire. This theory is supported by the evidence of clay being fired in kilns to make pottery, by the presence of baked bread, and by food being cooked in brick ovens, beginning in the Predynastic era.

One of the most interesting tools used to make fire was the fire lighter. It worked when a fire stick was quickly spun by hand or by using a bow with thongs. The fire stick was rapidly turned within drill holes that contain resin. The friction caused by the spinning stick in the drill hole created a spark. The spark was channeled through a vertical slot into nearby tinder that would, then, burst into flame.