Stone Age Periods- Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic History

The Stone age refers to the prehistoric period during which stone tools were the most prevalent form of articles used by early man. The use of stone tools started about 2.5 million years ago with the arrival of the early humans (‘Homo Habilis’ and Australopithecus). They were one of the earliest bipedal primates and used tools to hunt primarily.

The Stone age is classified as following based on the type and technology of stone tools used –

1. Palaeolithic age (Old Stone Age) – from 2.5 million years ago to 12,000 years ago. Based on stone tools used by humans and changes in climate, it is further divided into the followings: –
   • Lower palaeolithic (Early palaeolithic age)-dating2,500,000 to 300,000 years ago
   • Middle palaeolithic – dating 300,000 to 30,000 years ago
   • Upper Palaeolithic – dating 30,000 to 12,000 years ago
2. Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) – dating from the Last glacial maximum till the final period of hunter-gatherer culture
3. Neolithic (New Stone Age) – dating12,000 years ago to around 6,500 years ago

Making of stone tools-

A stone was shaped using an edge, a point, or a percussion surface, to make it usable.

• Firstly, a base is formed to allow the worker to place the rough stone flat on a surface.
• Then, blade flakes are removed to sharpen the stone from one end. In the end, after some retouching, the stone tool is ready to be used.

Now let’s see the features of each age in some detail.

The Palaeolithic age (Old Stone Age)

Palaeolithic is made from two Greek words, palaios and lithos, meaning old and stone, respectively. Palaeolithic age dates from 2.5 million years ago to 12,000 years ago. Around 2.5 million years ago, the earliest form of the genus homo, such as homo habilis, started using stone tools.

Features of Palaeolithic age –

1. Shelter: Humans lived in open or in caves.
2. Hunting and Gathering: They hunted wild animals for meat and gathered food from plants.
3. Tools: Unpolished tools made of stone, wood and bone.

Classification of the Palaeolithic Age

1. Lower Palaeolithic Age: It dates from dating 2,500,000 to 300,000 years ago. We see the following developments in this age.
   1. Tools used – Tools were rough and heavy. Tools-Hand axes, Cleavers and choppers.

• Communication – Advent of verbal and non-verbal communication. Humans were now capable of making a small number of animal-like sounds.
  • Major sites include – Didwana(Rajasthan), Bhimbetka(M.P), Belan valley(UP), Soan river valley(Punjab)

• Middle Palaeolithic Age: It dates from 300,000 to 30,000 years ago.
• The Flake tool industry sets this age apart from the lower Palaeolithic age. These tools were smaller, lighter and thinner, for example, blades, pointers, scrapers and borers.
• Technology – People learned fire.
• Food- They started to cook food before eating due to the invention of fire. This enabled a greater consumption of calories to satisfy the needs of a larger brain.
• Homo Sapiens and Homo Neanderthalensis appeared in the Middle Palaeolithic age.
  • Major sites in India- Luni valley (Rajasthan), Potwar Plateau (between Indus & Jhelum), Bhimbetka (M.P), Tungabhadra river valley, Chirki- Nevasa(Maharastra)

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