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The 'Paleolithic' is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of stone tools. It covers virtually all of humanity's time on Earth, extending from 2.5 million years ago, with the introduction of stone tools by hominids such as ''Homo habilis'', to the introduction of agriculture in around 10,000 BCE.
The term "Paleolithic", literally "Old Age of the Stone", was coined by archaeologist John Lubbock in 1865 and derives from the Greek "παλαιός", "paleos" ("old") and "λίθος", "lithos", ("stone"). The Paleolithic era ended with the Mesolithic, or in areas with an early neolithisation, the Epipaleolithic.
The Paleolithic is characterized by the utilization of knapped stone tools, although humans at the time also used wood and bone tools. Other organic commodities were synthesized as tools, including leather and vegetable fibers; however these have not been preserved to any great degree.

Contents

Chronology

Human evolution

Human genealogy

timeline of human evolution

Simplified human genealogy

Way of life

Tools

Society

Diet and nutrition

Religion and beliefs

Notes and references

See also

Chronology

Traditionally, the Paleolithic is divided into three periods, the Lower Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic and the Upper Paleolithic; the three ages mark technological and cultural advances in different human communities.
:Paleolithic
::Lower Paleolithic
:::Olduwan culture
:::Acheulean culture
:::Clactonian culture
::Middle Paleolithic
:::Mousterian culture
:::Aterian culture
::Upper Paleolithic
:::Châtelperronian culture
:::Aurignacian culture
:::Gravettian culture
:::Solutrean culture
:::Magdalenian culture

Human evolution

Main articles: Human evolution

'Human evolution' is the part of biological evolution concerning the emergence of humans as a distinct species. It is the subject of a broad scientific inquiry that seeks to understand and describe how this change and development occurred. The study of human evolution encompasses many scientific disciplines, most notably physical anthropology, linguistics and genetics. The term "human", in the context of human evolution, refers to the genus ''Homo'', but studies of human evolution usually include other hominins, such as the australopithecines.

Human genealogy

timeline of human evolution

The ''timeline of human evolution'' outlines the major events in the development of humans species and the evolution of human's ancestors. This timeline does not explain the evolution of, for example, lions, dinosaurs or birds. It includes a more detailed explanation of other animals, species or genus, which are possible ancestors of ''Homo sapiens sapiens''.
It begins with the time of the origin of life and presents a possible line of descendants that led to humans. This timeline is based on studies from paleontology, developmental biology, morphology and from anatomical and genetic data. The study of human evolution is a major component of anthropology.

Simplified human genealogy

The timeline below shows a simplified genealogy of Paleolithic humanity:^[1]

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bar:evenement6
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# barset:evenement
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bar:ages
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from:-3000 till:-1950 color:gray
at:-2650 textcolor:black text:" Australopithecus"
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from:-2556 till:-1700 color:or
at:-2300 textcolor:black text:" Homo habilis"
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from:-2043 till:-1000 color:darkblue
at:-1650 textcolor:black text:" Homo ergaster"
from:-700 till:-300 color:blue textcolor:black text:"Homo rhodesiensis"
from:-200 till:0 color:lightblue
at:-300 textcolor:black text:" Homo sapiens"
at:-880 textcolor:black text:"?"
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from:-1121 till:-800 color:lightred
at:-1125 textcolor:black text:"Homo antecessor"
from:-700 till:-201 color:rougemoy
at:-675 textcolor:black text:"Homo heidelbergensis"
from:-199 till:-35 color:red
at:-225 textcolor:black text:"Neanderthal"
at:-1750 mark:(line, darkblue)
at:-770 textcolor:black text:"?"
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bar:evenement5 color:black width:20 $left
from:-1750 till:-100 color:orange
at:-1000 textcolor:black text:" Homo erectus"
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at:-315 textcolor:black text:" Homo soloensis"
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at:-1600 text:"Paleolithic"
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from:-3000 till:-1806 color:pliocene
at:-2400 text:"Pliocene"
from:-1806 till:-11 color:pleisto
at:-1000 text:"Pleistocene"
from:-11 till:0 color:holocene
at:-100 text:"H->"
at:-3000 mark:(line, black)
at:-1806 mark:(line, black)
at:-11 mark:(line, black)
at:0 mark:(line, black)

==Climate==
;Currently agreed upon classifications as Paleolithic geoclimatic episodes

Age (before)	America	Atlantic Europe	Maghreb	Mediterranean Europe	Central Europe
10,000 years	Flandrian interglacial	Flandriense	''Mellahiense''	''Versiliense''	Flandrian interglacial
80,000 years	'Wisconsin'	'Devensiense'	Regresión	Regresión	'Wisconsin glaciation'
140,000 years	Sangamoniense	Ipswichiense	''Ouljiense''	''Tirreniense II y III''	Eemian interglacial
200,000 years	'Illinois'	'Wolstoniense'	Regresión	Regresión	'Wolstonian glaciation'
450,000 years	Yarmouthiense	Hoxniense	''Anfatiense''	''Tirreniense I''	Hoxnian interglacial
580,000 years	'Kansas'	'Angliense'	Regresión	Regresión	'Kansan glaciation'
750,000 years	Aftoniense	Cromeriense	''Maarifiense''	''Siciliense''	Cromerian interglacial
1,100,000 years	'Nebraska'	'Beestoniense'	Regresión	Regresión	'Beestonian stage'
1,400,000 years	interglaciar	Ludhamiense	''Messaudiense''	''Calabriense''	Donau-Günz

Way of life

Main articles: Stone Age

The Old Stone Age or Paleolithic comprises more than a million years, and during this period major climatic and other changes occurred which affected the evolution of humans. Humans themselves evolved into their current morphological form during the later period of the Stone Age.
Paleolithic man appears to have ranged widely and was distributed thinly but uniformly. The Paleolithic remains which have been found are astonishingly uniform everywhere. Implements of the same type have been found in what is now Britain, France, and the banks of the Nile. The Outline of History, , H. G., Wells, Garden City Publishing Co., Inc., ,
The economy of a typical Paleolithic society was primitive, with humans living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. They obtained food, firewood and materials for their tools, clothes or cabins.

Tools

During the interglacial period about 100,000 years ago, some small family groups of ''Homo neanderthalensis'' wandered over Europe, leaving nothing but their flint implements.
In general, the methods of fabrication for tools did not change a great deal during the Paleolithic, despite the number of cultures that existed through the era.

Society

An artist's rendering of a temporary wood house found at Terra Amata (in Nice, France) and dated to around 400,000 BCE.

Neanderthals seemed acquainted with the use of fire, and as the last glacial era approached in Europe they began to seek shelter under rock ledges and in caves, and leaving their remains for later discovery. More primitive men or society vanished, as the rudest type of Paleolithic implements vanished. Among their prey were the large mammals, as they brought their large bones to caves to crack for the marrow. Animal skins were being used. They were right-handed (the left side of the brain was larger).
Paleolithic humans were grouped in clans that ranged from 25 to 50 members; these clans were formed by several families.

Diet and nutrition

Paleolithic diets consisted primarily of animal flesh, fruits, and vegetables.

Religion and beliefs

Notes and references

1. Human evolution

See also

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• Abbassia Pluvial
• Geologic time scale
• Ice age
• List of notable Paleolithic sites
• Mousterian Pluvial
• Pleistocene
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