"The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic... is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools..."
- The period of human history between 2.5 million and 10,000 BCE when humans first developed stone tools.
Human evolution: The biological and cultural development of early humans from the emergence of hominids to the emergence of Homo sapiens.
Paleolithic lifestyle and society: The basic features of Paleolithic social organization, including hunting and gathering, family structures, gender roles, and religious beliefs.
Art and symbolism: The significance of Paleolithic art and iconography, including cave paintings, sculptures, and other forms of symbolic representation.
Archaeology and the study of the Paleolithic period: The techniques and methodologies used by archaeologists to study the Paleolithic era, including excavation, analysis of artifacts and fossils, and the interpretation of cultural and environmental data.
Paleolithic resources and environment: The availability and utilization of natural resources during the Paleolithic era, including water sources, animal populations, plant life, and mineral resources.
Paleolithic technology: The tools and technologies used by early humans during the Paleolithic era, including stone tools, fire, and other innovations.
Climate and environmental change: The impact of climate and environmental change on human societies during this era, including the effects of the Ice Age and other significant events.
The spread of Homo sapiens: The migration and expansion of early humans out of Africa and across the globe, including the emergence of the first human civilizations.
Cultural diversity and interdependence: The diversity of Paleolithic cultures around the world and their relationship to each other, as well as to other contemporary cultures.
Implications for contemporary society: The relevance of the Paleolithic era to modern issues of social and environmental justice, sustainability, and cultural diversity.
Lower Paleolithic (2.6 million-200,000 years ago): Characterized by the emergence of early human ancestors, such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus. They used simple tools made of stone, bamboo, and bone.
Middle Paleolithic (200,000-40,000 years ago): Marked by the development of more advanced tool-making techniques and the emergence of Homo neanderthalensis, who had larger brains and more advanced social structures than their predecessors.
Upper Paleolithic (40,000-10,000 years ago): Considered to be the most advanced stage of the Paleolithic Era, characterized by the development of art, sophisticated tool-making, and the emergence of Homo sapiens. This era also saw the evolution of human culture and the beginning of agricultural practices, leading to the development of human civilizations.
Epipaleolithic (10,000-8,000 BCE): A transitional phase between the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras, characterized by the development of smaller, more efficient stone tools and the domestication of plants and animals.
Mesolithic (8,000-4,000 BCE): Marked by the development of more complex societies and the use of advanced tools, such as bows and arrows, fish hooks, and the wheel.
Neolithic (4,000-2,000 BCE): Characterized by the emergence of agriculture, pottery, and the first permanent settlements. This era saw the development of advanced human civilizations, such as Sumer, Ancient Egypt, and Indus Valley Civilization, paving the way for the Bronze Age.
"It extends from the earliest known use of stone tools by hominins, c. 3.3 million years ago, to the end of the Pleistocene, c. 11,650 cal BP."
"...subsisted by gathering plants, fishing, and hunting or scavenging wild animals."
"The Paleolithic Age is characterized by the use of knapped stone tools, although at the time humans also used wood and bone tools."
"Archaeologists classify artifacts of the last 50,000 years into many different categories, such as projectile points, engraving tools, sharp knife blades, and drilling and piercing tools."
"Humankind gradually evolved from early members of the genus Homo... into anatomically modern humans as well as behaviorally modern humans by the Upper Paleolithic."
"During the end of the Paleolithic Age, specifically the Middle or Upper Paleolithic Age, humans began to produce the earliest works of art and to engage in religious or spiritual behavior such as burial and ritual."
"Conditions during the Paleolithic Age went through a set of glacial and interglacial periods in which the climate periodically fluctuated between warm and cool temperatures."
"Archaeological and genetic data suggest that the source populations of Paleolithic humans survived in sparsely-wooded areas and dispersed through areas of high primary productivity while avoiding dense forest-cover."
"By c. 50,000 – c. 40,000 BP, the first humans set foot in Australia."
"By c. 45,000 BP, humans lived at 61°N latitude in Europe."
"By c. 30,000 BP, Japan was reached."
"By c. 27,000 BP humans were present in Siberia, above the Arctic Circle."
"By the end of the Upper Paleolithic Age humans had crossed Beringia and expanded throughout the Americas."