The term Stone Age was coined by Christian. J. Thomsen, a Danish scholar in the late 19th century.Thomsen is also credited for coming up with the ‘Three Age System’ framework to study human history. The three successive ages are the Stone age, Bronze age, and Iron age.Each successive age in human history is technologically more complex than the one preceding it. This idea of a gradual increase in the complexity of the ages was obtained after observing regularity in the artifacts found in archeological sites. Stone tools and stone artifacts were found in the deepest layers, artifacts made of bronze above that, and iron made artifacts closest to the surface. This framework can be used to study everything from the Early Stone Age to the Iron Age, but it has been criticized for being too simplistic.If you enjoyed reading this article, then you might also find these articles on caveman tools and Paleolithic Age tools interesting to read here on Kidadl.TimelineA stone tool is a tool that is partially or entirely made of stone and is mainly found in the Stone Age. Throughout history, human beings have used stones to make various tools like spearheads, arrowheads, querns, and hand axes. Early humans used these Stone-Age tools for various functions ranging from hunting for food to shelter.The Stone Age began with the production and use of stone tools and ended with the advent of bronze. It is approximately said to have lasted for 3.4 million years from 30,000-3000 BCE. The Stone Age is known to be divided into three periods: the Paleolithic period, the Mesolithic period, and the Neolithic period. These periods are also called the Old Stone Age, the Middle Stone Age, and the New Stone Age.The Paleolithic Age extending from 30,000 BCE-10,000 BCE, began with the production of stone artifacts and lasted until the last Ice age. This is the most prolonged period of the Stone Age compared to the later Stone Age periods. During this period, early humans were hunters and food gatherers. Settled life was not common during this time since the people were not aware of agriculture or the construction of homes. Early humans during this period used simple chipped and chopped types of stone tools. This stage of the Stone Age is further divided into three periods, namely the Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic periods. There were several lithic or stone industries during this period. The earliest is known as the Oldowan industry (approximately 2.5 million years ago), and later the Acheulean industry came into being (about 1.7 million years ago). The former had simple choppers and flakes as stone tools, and the latter consisted of more complex and symmetrical stone tools. The Middle Paleolithic period extended from 250,000-30,000 years ago and was characterized by stone flakes tools and the use of fire. The Upper Paleolithic period had more sophisticated stone tools and lasted approximately 50,000-40,000 years ago.The Mesolithic period began at approximately 9600 BCE around the end of the Ice age. This period is characterized by increasing temperatures, melting ice sheets, and rising sea levels. Consequently, early humans had to adapt to changing environmental conditions, which made them late hunter-gathers. The stone tools in this period (Mesolithic tools) are different from that of the previous period. The Mesolithic period ended with the origin of agriculture. Since agriculture originated at different times in different parts of the world, there is no precise date marking the end of this period.The final period of the Stone Age is the Neolithic period. This period began with the introduction of agricultural practices and had different dates of beginning in different regions from 9,000 BCE in the near east to 6,000 BCE in East Asia. This period of the stone age came with it a number of significant developments like food production by early humans using farming, more sophisticated Stone-Age tools, pottery, and the formation of large settlements. This period ended with the advent of the Bronze Age, which lasted from 3300 BCE-12000 BCE. The Iron Ages then followed this from 12000-600 BC.The African chronology of the stone age has slightly different names than the one described above. The three-stone ages in African Chronology are the Early Stone Age, the Middle Stone Age, and the Later Stone Age. The Early Stone Age is comparable to the Lower Paleolithic period, the Middle Stone Age to the Middle Paleolithic Period, and finally, the Later Stone Age to Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.TypesEarly humans consist of Homo habilis or the toolmakers, Homo erectus or the fire-makers, and Neanderthals. This was then followed by Homo sapiens or modern humans. The Early Stone Age was when Homo habilis made the first stone tools. As time progressed, the tools made by early humans increased in sophistication.Early Stone Age tools mostly comprised of the Oldowan tools and Acheulean tools. Oldowan tools consist of hammerstones, stone cores, and sharp stone flakes struck from the stone cores. Simple pebble stones have also been found with the remains of early humans. Raw materials like volcanic lava and quartz were made into tools using techniques like hard hammer percussion and bipolar technique, where a stone core is hit with a stone hammer. In this way, stone cores were transformed into choppers, scrapers, hammerstones, stone flakes, and awls. Acheulean tools consist of bi-faced or two-faced handaxes, knives, picks, and cleavers. These tools were harder to break and had sharper edges when compared to the Oldowan tools.The two-faced Early Stone Age tools were made from large stone flakes struck from a stone core. The more precisely shaped tools seen later in the Early Stone Age were made using a more delicate technique called the soft hammer technique. This technique helped in producing thinner flakes using materials like flintstone. It is also believed that flintstones were banged against each other to create sparks for fire.In the Middle Paleolithic period, another technique was added to stone technology, namely the Levallois technique, which gave early humans more control over the shape of the stone flake struck from a stone core. These stone flakes were then used to make stone age tools like blades, points, scrapers, and denticulates. Bone points have also been found in this stone age but are rare.The Late Paleolithic period gave rise to more sophisticated stone age tools. Blade tools made of stone were created, and the focus shifted from stone to other materials like antlers and bones. Points and needles, bows and arrows, harpoons, and shaft straighteners were found in this period. In addition to the soft and hard hammer technique, other Asian and African techniques, which laid emphasis on small blades or bladelets and geometric microliths or a small flint blade, were also added to the lithic technology. Bladelets and geometric microliths could be turned into composite tools (tools made of more than one material) using the process of hafting.The Mesolithic period saw the advent of the microlith, which were obtained from stone cores or larger blades. Microliths were used as weapons, and multiple microliths hafted together were used to create a cutting edge on tools. Arrowheads, sophisticated fishing gear made of net and hooks, mattocks, axes, bine adzes, and scrapers were also found during this period.The neolithic period still saw the use of Stone-Age tools. Projectile points, harvesting knives, and sickles were found in this period. There was also increased sophistication in the Stone Age tools found in this period. Other types of tools found in this period were stone axes, adzes, hammers, and chisels.UsesThe Early Stone Age was a time of great adversity for early humans in terms of the climate and environment they inhabited. The development of Early Stone Age tools went a long way in helping early humans adapt to their harsh environment. As man progressed from the Early Stone Age to later periods, these Early Stone Age tools increased in sophistication.The Early Stone Age tools like scrapers, stone flakes, awls, etc., were used for butchering animals, cutting plants, and even woodworking. Scrapers were used to clean the hides of animals for clothing and shelter. Awls were used to shred fibers which were then used to make thread and fishing nets to catch fish. It was also used to punch holes in leather and wood. The handaxes found in the Paleolithic period were used as a weapon for hunting. Spears were also used as a weapon in the early stone age.Hammerstones were used to make other stone tools like choppers. Choppers were then used for killing, cutting, and skinning animals. Handaxe, another Early Stone Age tool, was used to kill animals and butcher them, cut sturdy trees, and dig the ground. Stone blades were also used for similar purposes as a hand axe and were one of the earliest weapons used by humans. Some of the other weapons used in the stone age were bows and arrows, harpoons, axes, and sharpened sticks.Early humans also sharpened bones to make harpoons and spearheads for fishing and hunting. Bones were also sharpened into needles for sewing. Microliths were used to make spears and other weapons. Buirns, a tool made from flint flakes, were used to sharpen bones and antlers for use as needles and fish points. Another tool of the Mesolithic period was the tranchet adze, a carpentry tool, which was used to make houses, fishing platforms, and boats.Finally, the Neolithic period saw the advent of tools used for both farming and as weapons against animals. Leaf-shaped flints made from flintstones were used to make arrows and knives. Blades were used in this period for farming as well as in cutting up and skinning animals. Cleavers were used in farming to dig up the ground and place seeds. Harvesting knives and sickles were used in agriculture to collect the produce. Chisels and hammers were used in woodwork, and axes were used both as weapons and cut trees. The dominant archaeological remains to have survived until today are artifacts made of stone. In addition to using Early Stone Age tools for survival, early humans also used some tools in making cave paintings. Blocks of pigment, brushes, and stencils made from animal hide were also used.Interesting Facts About Stone Age ToolsThe Stone Age was one of the earliest records of human beings. A lot of information has been gathered about early humans by studying the Early Stone Age tools obtained from archeological sites.Early and modern humans actually evolved from a group of apes around six to seven million years ago. This group of apes was called hominins, and it took almost three million years for these apes to look like humans. It was during this time that Homo habilis, Homo erectus Neanderthals, evolved.Just like the Stone Age tools became more advanced as time progressed, so did the dwellings used by early humans. The earliest shelters were made of caves and rocks, which progressed into huts thatched with reeds and mud in the Mesolithic period. These shelters became more advanced and permanent in the Neolithic period using clay, soil, and animal dung.Archaeological findings also shed more light on early men’s religious beliefs and lifestyles. They used religious beliefs to understand the world around them. Changing seasons were attributed to be actions of Gods, and they began to worship the forces of nature. Tombs were also built during this time. In fact, the megaliths were considered a link between the living and the dead during that time.The early humans made stone tools that were not just used for hunting and gathering food but also to make cave paintings and clothes. Animal skins were cleaned using scrappers and sewn together to keep themselves warm. Some early humans used naturally occurring pigments to decorate their faces and bodies. Some forms of jewelry, like bracelets and necklaces, were made around 75,000 years ago using bones, shells, and tusks.Many of the animals found in the Stone Age have become extinct now, like the woolly mammoth, giant dears, cave bears, etc. These animals were much bigger than their modern counterparts. Most animals were either hunted for food or killed by early humans when they posed a danger. Interestingly, the first animal to be domesticated by early humans were dogs, and this happened during the Mesolithic period and was used in hunting.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Stone Age tools that were essential for their livelihood, then why not take a look at middle Paleolithic tools or measuring tools.
The term Stone Age was coined by Christian. J. Thomsen, a Danish scholar in the late 19th century.
