Stone Age of History
1. Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)
1. Stone Tools: People used crude, unpolished stone tools. These tools were mainly for hunting and cutting.
2. Food Habit: They were hunter-gatherers and depended on wild animals and plants for food.
3. No Permanent Homes: People lived in caves or under trees and kept moving in search of food.
4. Discovery of Fire: Fire was discovered in this age, which helped in cooking food and protecting from wild
animals.
5. Social Life: Life was lived in small groups or tribes, with limited cooperation.
6. No Agriculture: People had no knowledge of farming or domestication of animals.
7. Art: Some cave paintings (like in Bhimbetka, India) show that humans expressed themselves through art.
8. Slow Progress: There was very slow development in tools, technology, and lifestyle.
9. Clothing: Early humans used animal skins or leaves to cover themselves.
10. Gender Roles: Men mostly hunted; women gathered fruits, nuts, and looked after children.
11. Religious Beliefs: No clear evidence, but some burials suggest early beliefs in life after death.
12. Importance: It shows the earliest phase of human survival and basic development.
2. Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age)
1. Improved Tools: Tools became smaller and sharper, known as microliths (tiny tools).
2. Domestication Started: People began domesticating animals like dogs and goats.
3. Fishing: Fishing became a regular food activity using sharpened tools.
4. Seasonal Settlements: People started staying longer at one place during favorable seasons.
5. Food Storage: Early attempts to store food items like dried meat and seeds began.
6. Art Progressed: Rock paintings became more advanced and colorful.
7. Beginning of Agriculture: The first signs of farming started, but hunting-gathering still continued.
8. Better Clothing: Use of animal skins and threads to make better clothes started.
9. Burial Practices: Some evidence shows proper burial of dead bodies.
10. Social Change: Group sizes increased and cooperation improved.
11. Canoes and Boats: For the first time, simple boats were used for fishing and travel.
12. Importance: It acted as a bridge between the Old Stone Age and New Stone Age.
3. Neolithic Age (New Stone Age)
Stone Age of History
1. Agriculture Developed: People started growing crops like wheat, barley, and rice.
2. Animal Domestication: Domesticated animals like cows, sheep, and goats for milk and meat.
3. Permanent Settlements: People built mud houses and began living in villages.
4. Polished Tools: Tools were now polished and stronger, used for farming and building.
5. Pottery: People made pots to store grains, water, and cook food.
6. Weaving and Spinning: Clothes were now made from cotton and wool threads.
7. Village Life: Organized social life began with rules and cooperation in farming.
8. Religious Practices: Worship of nature, sun, and fertility symbols began.
9. Property Concept: Land and animals became personal property, leading to social inequality.
10. Trade Began: Small-scale trade of goods like tools, grains, and pots started.
11. Language Development: Signs of spoken language started to appear for better communication.
12. Importance: It laid the foundation of civilization and modern human society.
