A new study suggests that catastrophic fires and soil erosion more than 8,000 years ago may have forced early humans to become farmers. Prof. Amos Frumkin of Jerusalem's Hebrew University found evidence of fire activity spiking sharply around 8,200 years ago, likely caused by intense lightning storms. The fires cleared large areas of vegetation, making it difficult for early humans to hunt and forage. The soil, no longer held together by plant roots, was washed or blown off mountainsides, creating ideal conditions for agricultural cultivation. The study provides fresh insight into the reasons behind the shift from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming in the region.