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Archaeologists claim objects are earliest 'matches'
Researchers from Israel say that mysterious clay and stone artefacts from Neolithic times could be the earliest known "matches".
Although the cylindrical objects have been known about for some time, they had previously been interpreted as "cultic" phallic symbols.
The researchers' new interpretation means these could be the earliest evidence of how fires were ignited.
The research was published in the open access journal Plos One. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042213
The journal reports that the artefacts are almost 8,000 years old.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19168047
Strike a light ! 
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