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The Paleolithic and Neolithic Age

Read and highlight the following passage, and list at least three details from each section for
both the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages.

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The Paleolithic Era (or Old Stone Age) is a period of prehistory from about 2.6 million years

ago to around 10000 years ago. The Neolithic Era (or New Stone Age) began around

10,000 BC and ended between 4500 and 2000 BC in various parts of the world. Paleolithic

humans lived a nomadic lifestyle in small groups. They used primitive stone tools and their

survival depended heavily on their environment and climate. Neolithic humans discovered

agriculture and domesticated animals, which allowed them to settle down in one area.

Lifestyle

Paleolithic people were hunter-gatherers. They were nomads who lived in tribes and relied

on hunting, fishing and gathering wild fruits. They hunted animals like bison, mammoths, bears

and deer. Meat was a source of food and animal hide was used to make clothes. They lived in

clans of 20-30 people in caves, outdoors or in cabins made of tree branches and animal skin.

The Neolithic era began when humans discovered agriculture and raising cattle

(domestication), which allowed them to no longer have a nomadic life style. They were able to

settle in fertile areas with predictable climate, usually near river basins. Rice and wheat were

the first plants they cultivated, and the first animals to be domesticated were dogs, goats,

sheep, oxen and horses.

Paleolithic Neolithic

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Tools

Paleolithic tools were made of wood, stone and animal bones. Tools and weapons like

harpoons, axes, lances, choppers and awls were used. Neolithic era tools were more

sophisticated. A variety of tools were invented in the New Stone age, such as sickle blades

and grinding stones for agriculture, and pottery and bone implements for food production.

Stone axes allowed Neolithic man to clear forests, and the adze (similar to an ax) allowed him

to chop wood for shelter, structures and canoes. Archaeologists have also found projectile

points, beads, and statuettes from this era.

Paleolithic Neolithic

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Art

Paleolithic people are believed to have animistic religious beliefs. They decorated walls

of their cave dwellings with pictures of animals, including deer, bison and mammoths. They

also made small sculptures; notably Venus. The most famous prehistorical paintings are in

the caves of Altamira, in Spain, and Lascaux, in France. This kind of art, distinct

from natural formations in caves, is called cave art. Cave art has been found all over Europe,

Asia and Africa. People in paintings were depicted as stick figures . The human figure

became more important in Neolithic art, which often paints scenes with groups of people

hunting, farming or dancing.

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Paleolithic Neolithic

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Important Discoveries and Inventions

Perhaps the most important invention of Paleolithic man was language. A close second was

their discovery of how to control fire.

Neolithic humans discovered how to cultivate plants and domesticate animals. They also

invented writing, pottery and weaving. The agricultural revolution in the early Neolithic era

had a profound impact on the human species. The wheel is also believed to have been invented

in the Neolithic period. Calendars and time-keeping were also invented in this era.

Paleolithic (only two) Neolithic

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