The Stone Age was a prehistoric era in which tools and weapons were made primarily from stone. It is the oldest period in human history and spanned a very long period of time, from around 2.5 million years ago to the introduction of metalworking.
The Stone Age is divided into three main periods:
- Paleolithic (Old Stone Age): The Paleolithic began with the earliest records of human existence and ended around 10,000 BC. During this time, people were hunters and gatherers and lived in small nomadic groups. They made tools and weapons mainly from stone, wood, bones and antlers. The use of fire, cave paintings and the development of the first cultures also fall into this era.
- Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age): The Mesolithic began around 10,000 BC. BC and ended, depending on the region, between 4000 and 2000 BC. During this time, people began to become more sedentary and began collecting wild grains and taking advantage of fishing and hunting. Tools were still made from stone, but there were also technological advances in the processing of bones, antlers, and wood.
- Neolithic (New Stone Age): The Neolithic began with the introduction of agriculture and the domestication of animals, leading to a sedentary lifestyle. People began growing crops and raising livestock, and developed tools such as stone axes, grinding stones, and pottery. The Neolithic ended with the discovery of metalworking at different times in different regions.
The Stone Age was a crucial period in human development during which fundamental technologies and skills were developed that laid the foundation for later civilizations.