Paleolithic

Glossaries

Term	Definition
Paleolithic	The Paleolithic is the oldest and longest period of human prehistory. It began with the appearance of the earliest stone tools and ended with the close of the last Ice Age and the emergence of agriculture. The Paleolithic, or Old Stone Age, represents the earliest major period of human prehistory. It began approximately 3.3 million years ago with the earliest known stone tools associated with the first members of the genus Homo in Africa. Its end is generally placed around 10,000 BC, although the exact date varies between regions. During this period, human societies relied mainly on hunting, fishing, gathering and scavenging. Communities were generally nomadic or semi-nomadic and moved according to seasonal resources and climatic conditions. The Paleolithic is traditionally divided into three major phases: the Lower Paleolithic, associated with the earliest human species and simple stone tools; the Middle Paleolithic, linked particularly to Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens; and the Upper Paleolithic, marked by the expansion of modern humans, technological improvements and the appearance of cave art and more complex symbolic behaviour. The period witnessed major biological and cultural developments, including the gradual control of fire, increasingly sophisticated stone-working techniques, the emergence of more complex social organisation and the development of funerary and artistic practices. The Paleolithic remains a fundamental reference for the study of human origins and is frequently mentioned in the history of countries, archaeological sites and prehistoric monuments.

Term

Definition

The Paleolithic is the oldest and longest period of human prehistory. It began with the appearance of the earliest stone tools and ended with the close of the last Ice Age and the emergence of agriculture.

The Paleolithic, or Old Stone Age, represents the earliest major period of human prehistory. It began approximately 3.3 million years ago with the earliest known stone tools associated with the first members of the genus Homo in Africa. Its end is generally placed around 10,000 BC, although the exact date varies between regions.

During this period, human societies relied mainly on hunting, fishing, gathering and scavenging. Communities were generally nomadic or semi-nomadic and moved according to seasonal resources and climatic conditions.

The Paleolithic is traditionally divided into three major phases: the Lower Paleolithic, associated with the earliest human species and simple stone tools; the Middle Paleolithic, linked particularly to Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens; and the Upper Paleolithic, marked by the expansion of modern humans, technological improvements and the appearance of cave art and more complex symbolic behaviour.

The period witnessed major biological and cultural developments, including the gradual control of fire, increasingly sophisticated stone-working techniques, the emergence of more complex social organisation and the development of funerary and artistic practices.

The Paleolithic remains a fundamental reference for the study of human origins and is frequently mentioned in the history of countries, archaeological sites and prehistoric monuments.