The 

Paleolithic Age itself is the first period of human history, lasting from the beginnings of
humanity through the Ice Age sometime around 10,000 BCE. The Paleolithic Age is the
beginning of a larger period called the Stone Age, which, as you might guess, is named for
the use of stone as the main material for tools (though other basic materials like wood,
bone, and antler were also used). The Paleolithic Age is divided into three different sub-
periods, which together span a period of up to three million years, though many scholars
disagree on the dating.