Paleolithic

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Homo heidelbergenesis, a late Lower Paleolithic human species hunting large Pleistocene mammals with wood tipped spears.

The Paleolithic refers to the oldest subdivision of the stone age. The Paleolithic began around 2.5 million years ago or 2.6 million years ago when the hominid homo habilis created the first stone tools and ended around 10,000 BCE when the geologic Pleistocene epoch ended and the Holocene epoch began.^[1][1][1] It covers the greatest portion of humanity's time on earth (the Paleolithic millennia cover roughly 99% of humanity's existence).^[1] The Paleolithic is followed by the Mesolithic period in Europe or the Epipaleolithic in regions that were not effected by the Ice Age (such as Africa).^[1] The Paleolithic corresponds to the Pleistocene and Pliocene epochs of geology and paleontology. During the Paleolithic humans lived as simple hunter gatherers and gained their subsistence from hunting or scavenging wild animals and gathering plants.

The Paleolithic is divided into three subdivisions the Lower Paleolithic, the Middle Paleolithic and the Upper Paleolithic that are distinguished from each other by technological and cultural advances that occurred during each one of these periods.^[1]

References

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