The Stone Age, the earliest period of human history, is characterized by the development and use of stone tools. Evidence of tool-making and technological achievements from this era comes from archaeological finds and the analysis of tools and artifacts. Here’s a detailed overview of the evidence:
1. Early Stone Tools (Oldowan Technology, c. 2.5–1.7 million years ago)
• Characteristics:
• Simple stone tools made by striking rocks to create sharp edges.
• These tools include choppers, scrapers, and flakes used for cutting, chopping, and scraping.
• Evidence:
• Found at sites like Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) and other locations in East Africa.
• Associated with early hominins such as Homo habilis.
2. Acheulean Tools (c. 1.7 million–200,000 years ago)
• Characteristics:
• More sophisticated than Oldowan tools.
• Includes the iconic hand axe, a teardrop-shaped, multipurpose tool.
• Evidence of planning and symmetry in tool-making.
• Evidence:
• Widely distributed in Africa, Europe, and Asia.
• Associated with Homo erectus and early Homo sapiens.
3. Middle Stone Age (Mousterian Technology, c. 300,000–30,000 years ago)
• Characteristics:
• Smaller, more refined tools made using the Levallois technique, which involved preparing a stone core to produce specific types of flakes.
• Tools included scrapers, points, and blades.
• Likely used for hunting, processing hides, and crafting.
• Evidence:
• Found across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
• Associated with Neanderthals and early modern humans.
4. Upper Paleolithic Tools and Innovations (c. 50,000–10,000 years ago)
• Characteristics:
• A significant leap in technology and creativity.
• Use of blade technology, producing long, thin stone flakes for more precise tools.
• Tools included burins (for engraving), microliths (small, sharp tools used in composite tools like arrows), and needles for sewing.
• Technological Achievements:
• Bone, antler, and ivory tools for hunting and crafting.
• First evidence of bows and arrows.
• Early art and symbolic objects, such as carvings and cave paintings (e.g., Lascaux, France).
• Evidence:
• Sites across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
5. Fire and Heat Treatment
• Earliest Control of Fire:
• Evidence of controlled use of fire dates back to 1.5 million years ago (Wonderwerk Cave, South Africa).
• Used for cooking, warmth, and protection.
• Heat Treatment of Stone:
• Early humans in South Africa (c. 72,000 years ago) used heat to improve the quality of stone tools.
6. Structural Achievements
• Shelters: Evidence of constructed shelters made from wood, stone, and animal hides.
• Example: Terra Amata site in France (c. 400,000 years ago).
• Boats: The discovery of early seafaring evidence, such as crossing to islands like Crete (c. 100,000 years ago), suggests simple boats or rafts.
7. Symbolism and Communication
• Art:
• Early cave paintings (e.g., Chauvet Cave, c. 30,000 BCE) and carvings (e.g., Venus figurines).
• Engraved Symbols:
• Early symbolic behavior, such as abstract patterns engraved on ochre at Blombos Cave (South Africa, c. 75,000 years ago).
• Ornaments:
• Beads made from shells and bones.
8. Early Domestication Attempts
• Late Stone Age evidence suggests early attempts at domesticating animals (e.g., dogs) and managing wild plant species, laying the groundwork for the Neolithic Revolution.
Significance
These tools and achievements demonstrate early humans’ adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, paving the way for the development of agriculture, permanent settlements, and complex societies in the Neolithic period.
