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What are the three periods of the Stone Age?
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Stone Age
Stone tool flaked on one surface only, known as a uniface blade, and three end scrapers.
The Stone Age is a prehistoric cultural stage defined by the development and use of stone tools, spanning from approximately 3.3 million years ago to the advent of metalworking. It is traditionally divided into three distinct periods based on the increasing sophistication of tool-making techniques:12
- Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age): The earliest and longest period, characterized by the use of rudimentary chipped stone tools, such as pebble tools, hand axes, and scrapers, as well as tools fashioned from bone and wood.312
- Mesolithic Period (Middle Stone Age): A transitional period marked by greater innovation and diversity in material culture, including the development of microlithsâsmall stone tools designed to be mounted on shaftsâand early polished stone implements.412
- Neolithic Period (New Stone Age): The final period, distinguished by the use of polished or ground stone tools, the emergence of permanent village settlements, and the transition to agriculture and animal domestication.512