Final answer:
Humans mastered the use of fire during the Stone Age, dating back to at least 400,000 years ago, long before the Bronze Age and Iron Age began.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mastery of the use of fire by humans took place during the Stone Age. This period covers a vast time span where early humans primarily made use of stone for creating tools and other objects, like arrowheads and jewelry. The Stone Age marked the emergence of significant human achievements, one of the most critical being the ability to control fire. Scholars support the evidence of the control of fire dating back to 400,000 years ago, with suggestions that it could be much earlier. The control of fire offered numerous advantages to early humans, ranging from warmth, protection, and the ability to cook food, which altogether played a crucial role in the development of civilizations.
The importance of fire in human history is such that it is considered a pivotal point of technological and social advancement. Before the onset of the Bronze Age, where humans discovered the melting and alloying of metals like copper and tin to make bronze, they were already adept at harnessing fire. The same goes for the subsequent Iron Age when smelting techniques advanced to create iron and steel. Thus, Option (1) Stone Age is the correct choice for when humans mastered the use of fire.