What is the Paleolithic Age?
The Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) was the longest phase of human prehistory, spanning from the first use of stone tools (~2.5 million years ago) until the end of the last Ice Age (~10,000 BCE).
Key Characteristics:
- Hunter-Gatherer Societies
- Relied on wild plants/animals for food.
- Nomadic lifestyle following seasonal resources.
- Tool Technology
- Lower Paleolithic: Simple choppers (Homo habilis).
- Middle Paleolithic: Mousterian tools (Neanderthals).
- Upper Paleolithic: Blade tools (Homo sapiens).
- Cultural Developments
- Cave Art: Animal paintings (e.g., Lascaux, Chauvet).
- Burial Rituals: Evidence of grave goods (Red Ochre burials).
- Climate Adaptation
- Survived Ice Age glaciations.
- Used fire for warmth and cooking (~1 million years ago).
What is the Neolithic Age?
The Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) began with the Agricultural Revolution (~10,000 BCE) and ended with the advent of metal tools (~3,000 BCE).
Key Characteristics:
- Agricultural Revolution
- Domestication: Wheat (Fertile Crescent), rice (China), maize (Mesoamerica).
- Animal Husbandry: Sheep, goats, cattle replaced hunting.
- Settled Communities
- First Villages: Jericho (9,000 BCE), Çatalhöyük (7,500 BCE).
- Architecture: Mud-brick houses, defensive walls.
- Technological Advances
- Polished Stone Tools: Axes for deforestation.
- Pottery: Storage of surplus grains.
- Weaving: Looms for textiles.
- Social Changes
- Specialization: Farmers, priests, artisans.
- Trade: Obsidian, flint networks.
- Religion: Megalithic tombs (Newgrange), fertility goddesses.
Neolithic vs Paleolithic – Difference and Comparison
| Feature | Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) | Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) |
|---|---|---|
| Time Period | ~2.5 million years ago – ~10,000 BCE | ~10,000 BCE – ~3,000 BCE |
| Lifestyle | Nomadic (hunter-gatherers) | Settled (agricultural communities) |
| Tools | Chipped stone tools (flint, obsidian) | Polished stone tools (axes, sickles) |
| Food | Hunting, fishing, foraging | Farming, domestication of animals |
| Shelter | Caves, temporary huts | Permanent houses (mud-brick, timber) |
| Art | Cave paintings (Lascaux), Venus figurines | Pottery, woven textiles, megaliths (Stonehenge) |
| Technology | Fire control, simple weapons (spears) | Plows, irrigation, pottery wheels |
| Social Structure | Small bands (20-50 people) | Villages, early chiefdoms |
| Religion | Animism, burial rituals | Ancestor worship, fertility cults |
| Clothing | Animal hides | Woven wool/linen |
| Key Sites | Lascaux (France), Altamira (Spain) | Çatalhöyük (Turkey), Jericho (Palestine) |
Tool-Making Evolution: Paleolithic vs. Neolithic
| Feature | Paleolithic Tools | Neolithic Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Flint, obsidian, bone | Polished stone, clay, copper (late Neolithic) |
| Techniques | Knapping (striking stones to flake edges) | Grinding/polishing, drilling, firing (pottery) |
| Tool Types | Hand axes, spears, scrapers | Sickles, hoes, pottery, looms, plows |
| Production Time | Minutes to hours per tool | Days to weeks (polished axes) |
| Durability | Short-lived (frequent resharpening) | Long-lasting (years of use) |
| Specialization | General-purpose tools | Task-specific tools (e.g., farming, weaving) |
Paleolithic Tool-Making (2.6 million – 10,000 BCE)
- Oldowan Tools (2.6 mya):
- First stone tools (Homo habilis).
- Simple choppers and sharp flakes for cutting meat/plants.
- Made by striking rocks to create jagged edges.
- Acheulean Hand Axes (1.7 mya):
- Symmetrical bifacial tools (Homo erectus).
- Used for butchering, digging, and woodworking.
- Required 50+ strikes to shape.
- Mousterian Tools (300,000 – 30,000 BCE):
- Flake-based tools (Neanderthals).
- Levallois technique: Precise flaking to predetermine tool shape.
- Upper Paleolithic Blades (50,000 – 10,000 BCE):
- Long, thin blades (Homo sapiens).
- Pressure flaking: Finer edges for spears, needles, and art.
Neolithic Tool-Making (10,000 – 3,000 BCE)
- Polished Stone Tools:
- Axes and adzes: Ground/polished for durability (deforestation, farming).
- Sickles: Flint blades set in wood for harvesting grain.
- Pottery Technology:
- Fired clay vessels (storage, cooking).
- Pottery wheels (late Neolithic).
- Textile Tools:
- Spindles and looms for weaving wool/linen.
- Agricultural Implements:
- Plows (pulled by oxen).
- Grinding stones (querns) for flour.
