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Dec 23, 20184 min read

REVISION : PALEOLITHIC

Updated: Jan 8, 2019

PRE HISTORIC

before written historical records

Early forms of Hieroglphics / Cuniform writing from 5OOO years ago in Egypt later devloped around 2OOO BC by Phoenitians into consonants, which was an alphabet that represented sounds, then in the 8th century BC the Greeks introduce vowels.

Neolithic versus Paleolithic

comparison

The Paleolithic Era (or Old Stone Age) is a period of prehistory from about

3.3 million years ago to around 11,65O years ago.

Followed by a short Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age)

Then the Neolithic Era (or New Stone Age) which began around 10,000 BC and ended between 4500 and 2000 BC in various parts of the world.

The Paleolithic age covers 99% of hominid life on the planet

FIRE

Fire was discovered, or more importantly controlled by early hominids around 1.7 million years ago.

Fire provided warmth, protection from animals, light at night and the ability to cook meat. This changed the diet by the better digestion of animal protein.

fire lighting method

In the Paleolithic era, there were more than one hominid species but only one survived until the Neolithic era.

Paleolithic humans lived a nomadic lifestyle in small groups.

They used primitive stone tools and their survival depended heavily on their environment and climate.

Neolithic humans settled in one place and discovered agriculture and animal husbandry, which allowed them to grow in numbers and eventually begin civilisation .

Modern man homo sapien (wise man) has been living between 15O,OOO - 2OO,OOO years - between 4O,OOO and 7O,OOO years homo sapiens left Africa (this has since been estimated as early as 1OO,OOO years). During this time we shared resources with our closest hominid relatives

the Neandathals who lived as far back as 4OO,OOO years ago and dissapeared from Europe 4O,OOO years ago.

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Let us compare modern man's stone age histories.

Paleolithic from 2OO,OOO years ago

Neolithic from 1O,OOO years ago

HUMAN MOVEMENT ACROSS THE PLANET

CURIOSITY

Meaning

NEOLITHIC

Neo=new; Lithic=stone.

Neolithic era is also call the New Stone age.

PALEOLITHIC

Paleo=old; Lithic=stone.

The Paelolithic era is also called the Old Stone age.

Dwelling

NEOLITHIC

Mud bricks supported by timber

PALEOLITHIC

Mouths of caves, huts, skin tents

Lifestyle

NEOLITHIC

Sedentary. They farmed in permanent settlements and raised/herded animals; agriculture was discovered and became a major source of food; families evolved.

PALEOLITHIC

Nomadic; in groups of up to 50; tribal society; hunters and gatherers

Tools

NEOLITHIC

polished stone tools made sharper by grinding

PALEOLITHIC

Chipped stone, wooden weapons, light stone tools (not sharpened)

Clothes

NEOLITHIC

Animal skins, woven garments

PALEOLITHIC

Animal skins

Governance

NEOLITHIC

Military and religious leaders had authority. Monarchy emerged.

PALEOLITHIC

Tribal society. Clan controlled by elders or the powerful (according to age)

Economy

NEOLITHIC

The concept of private property and ownership emerged for things such as land, livestock and tools.

PALEOLITHIC

There was no concept of private property.

Health

NEOLITHIC

Neolithic people were shorter and had lower life expectancy. Diseases like tooth cavities and typhoid emerged in the new stone age. Neolithic women had more children because the life style was no longer nomadic.

PALEOLITHIC

Paleolithic people were taller and lived longer than neolithic people.

Art

NEOLITHIC

Wall paintings, bead work, sculptures

PALEOLITHIC

Cave paintings sculptures

Sculpture material

NEOLITHIC

Stone, clay (baked)

PALEOLITHIC

Stone, mammoth ivory, reindeer horn

Religion

NEOLITHIC

Nature worship, constructed stone circles aligned to equinox, buried the dead

PALEOLITHIC

Animal power totems

Main Discovery

NEOLITHIC

Agriculture and tools with polished stones, the plow

PALEOLITHIC

Fire;

Rough stone tools

Food

NEOLITHIC

They grew crops such as corn, wheat, beans, etc.

PALEOLITHIC

Hunted and gathered for their food supply. Meat, berries

source : https://www.diffen.com/difference/Neolithic_vs_Paleolithic

The extent of the last ICE AGE was a significant factor.

The last ice age went from 115,OOO - 11,7OO years ago

GEOGRAPHY INFLUENCES PRE HISTORY

Neolithic stone circles

Tools

PALEOLITHIC

Paleolithic tools were made of wood, stone and animal bones. Tools and weapons like harpoons, axes, lances, choppers were used.

An obsidian arrowhead belonging to in Middle Paleolithic age

Lower Paleolithic hand axes

NEOLITHIC

Neolithic era tools were more sophisticated. A variety of tools were invented in the New Stone age, such as sickle blades and grinding stones for agriculture, and pottery and bone implements for food production. Stone axes allowed Neolithic man to clear forests, and the adze allowed him to ashioning wood for shelter, structures and canoes. Archaeologists have also found projectile points, beads, and statuettes from this era.

Hunting

Both Paleolithic and Neolithic male communities had to learn to hunt, women gathered nuts and berries, and they learnt about medicinal plants.

Hunting taught - strategic thinking - planning - group co operation - weapon technology - bravery - hunting tactics - epic story telling - these human skills later led to organised sport, business and war.

The BRONZE AGE (discovery of a metal alloy by combining copper and tin) came after the Neolithic Stone Age and occurred about 3OOO BC to 1OOO BC this metal age produced better tools and naturally weapons.

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REPESTRIAN PAINTINGS Prehistoric 'art' on cave or rock walls

Art

PALEOLITHIC

The emergence of cave 'art' in Spain & France is a remarkable feature of this time in pre history. It may not have been art as we think of art today but it had powerful artistic qualities of visual representation -,