2.6-million-year-old tools from Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. Introduction The appearance of simple stone tools, widely known as Oldowan tools or the Oldowan industry, marked the beginning of our technological revolution. To our knowledge, these artifacts appeared around 2.6 million years ago in the savannahs of Eastern Africa. Today, the Oldowan is still the earliest, universally acknowledged stone tool[…]
People were becoming more aware of their inter-dependence, of social obligations, and of loyalties beyond the immediate family. Introduction The Neolithic (or “New” Stone Age) was a period in the development of human technology that is traditionally the last part of the Stone Age. The name was invented by John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury (1834-1913)[…]
During this period major climatic and other changes occurred, affecting the evolution of humans. Introduction The Paleolithic Age, also known as the Stone Age, encompasses the first widespread use of technology—as humans progressed from simpler to more complex developmental stages—and the spread of humanity from the savannas of East Africa to the rest of the[…]
Introduction The term Neolithic Period refers to the last stage of the Stone Age – a term coined in the late 19th century CE by scholars which covers three different periods: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. The Neolithic period is significant for its megalithic architecture, the spread of agricultural practices, and the use of polished stone[…]
The Stone Age as a whole makes up around 99% of humanity’s technological calling card. By Emma GroeneveldHistorian Introduction The Palaeolithic (‘Old Stone Age’) makes up the earliest chunk of the Stone Age – the large swathe of time during which hominins used stone to make tools – and ranges from the first known tool[…]
It must be recognized that stone was by no means the only material used for tools throughout this time. By Emma GroeneveldHistorian Introduction As the Stone Age covers around 99% of our human technological history, it would seem there is a lot to talk about when looking at the development of tools in this period.[…]