Fundamentals of Anthropology

Lecture # 6
The Stone Age

BS.PSY.4th SEM.
Ambrin Kosar
Visiting Lecturer
Department of Applied Psychology
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 Learning Objectives
You will be able:
 To understand the Concept of stone age.
 To describe the division of stone age.
 To describe the main differences b/w Paleolithic,
Mesolithic and Neolithic stone age.

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 Question to be Consider,

 How do you describe the stone age and its divisions?

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 Introduction of Stone Age
 A prehistoric period when weapons and tools were made of
stone or of organic materials such as bone , wood or horn.
 The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended
between 8700 BCE and 2000 BCE, with the advent of
metalworking.

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 Introduction(Cont…)
 The most common edged tools humans had were made of
stone.
 When humans began to smelt metal and make edged metal
tools, the Stone Age ended and the Bronze Age began.
 We know about these tools because they did not all root away,
so they can still be found.

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 The Stone Age

3: The Iron Age

2: The Bronze Age

1: The Stone Age

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 Division of Stone Age
The stone age is divided in three distinct periods.

1: Paleolithic Period
(Old Stone Age)

2: Mesolithic Period
(Middle Stone age)

3: Neolithic Period
(New stone Age)

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Time Lines of Ages

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 Paleolithic Period
(Old Stone Age)
 Man was a hunter and food gatherer.
 Chipped and chopped type stone tools were used. 
 The people were not aware of neither agriculture nor home
construction.
 Roots of trees and fruits were used for survival and lived in
caves and hills.  

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1: Paleolithic Period

3: Upper
Paleolithic
2: Middle
Paleolithic
1: Lower
Paleolithic

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 Lower Paleolithic
 Mainly spread in Western Europe and Africa and early human
lived a nomadic lifestyle.
 It includes the Acheulian culture.
 No specific human group was the carrier of lower Paleolithic
period, but many scholars believe that this era was a
contribution of Neanderthal-like Paleoanthropic men

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 Tools of Lower Paleolithic Age

  Population preferred to live near the water source.

 The first stone tool fabrication started and was called
oldowan tradition.
 Tools used in Lower Paleolithic era were mainly cleavers,
choppers, and hand axes.

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 Middle Paleolithic
 It includes the Mousterian culture.
 This age was associated with early form of man, Neanderthal.
 Neanderthal was hunter of prehistoric time.
 The Middle Paleolithic man was scavenger but few evidences
of hunting and gathering were traced.
 The dead were painted before burial.

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 Tools of Middle Paleolithic Age

 Stone tools of this period are of the flake tradition, and bone
implements, such as needles.
 Since the dead were painted before burial, a kind of primitive
religion may have been practiced.

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 Upper Paleolithic
 Neanderthal is replaced by a variety of Homo sapiens.
 The culture has been referred as the Osteodontokeratic
culture, i.e. tools made up of bone, teeth, and horns.
 the tools used were still crude and unsophisticated during
early period of this age.

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 Tools of Upper Paleolithic Age
 Tools of this age was majorly dependent on flakes which were
used to make bores, points, and scrapers etc.
 A crude pebble industry is also noticed in this period.
 Small stones were called microliths.

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 2: Mesolithic Age
 Control of fire and develop language.
 Horticultural and pastoral societies.
 Not only use stones but bones.
 Bows and arrows were used.
 Humans hunted and fished and to began to learn how to
domesticate animals and plants.

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 Tools Used
 Mesolithic tool kits were based on chipped stone and often
include microliths (very small stone tools).
 You would find farming tools, such as a stone hoe,during this
time period.

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 Difference b/w Neolithic Age
& Mesolithic Age
Neolithic Age Mesolithic Age
1. sophisticated tools used. 1. Bones and lvory used
2. Blades, Sickle, Harpoon. 2. Blade, Knives, Burin, Points
3. Cooked food 3. Hunter and gatherer
4. Wheat, Barley, Fish, Rice 4. Small animal hunted
5. Wool of animal used 5. Wild roots honey collected

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 Difference (Cont…)
Neolithic Age Mesolithic Age
1. Hair style 1. Sewed skin cloth
2. Burial system 2. Burial system
3. Seems ancestral worship 3. Invented needles
4. Performed large no of rites 4. Hut decoration
5. Human and animal sacrifice 5. Sowing seeds

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 Difference (Cont…)
Neolithic Age Mesolithic Age
1. Invention of wheel 1. Making art
2. Making cart 2. Wall paintings
3. Varity of pots 3. Pots
4. Ornaments making 4. Grown cotton
5. Making of fine pottery with design

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 3: The Neolithic Age

 A time period in which hominids primarily used stones as tools

and weapons.
 Period marked by the beginning of farming and the development
of pottery and weaving.
 (8000-3000 B.C).

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 Impact of Neolithic Age in Society
We can define the impacts of Neolithic age in several aspects.
 A Settled Life
 Agriculture
 Technology
 Infrastructural development
 Clothing

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 Religion
 Burial system
 Probably they worship Sun, Water, Tree
 Belief life after death
 Stone worship
 Human and animal sacrifice

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 Other Art
 Invention of wheel
 Making cart
 Making of fine pottery with design
 Chalcolithic culture
 Trade (barter system)
 Wall painting

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 Difference b/w Paleolithic
& Neolithic
Paleolithic Neolithic
 This Age began when  This age began from
hominids first made tools. invention of agriculture.
 During this Era Humans were  Domesticate means to train a
hunter-gathering. wild animal to be useful to
humans.

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 Difference (Cont…)

Paleolithic Neolithic
 Humans were hunter-  People lived in the Fertile
gatherers. Crescent.
 People were nomads.  Neolithic people were not
nomadic.
 They settled down in towns
and built houses.

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 Suggested Links

 History.com Editors.(2019,September 19).Stone Age-

History, A&E Television Networks. Retrieved from
https://www.history.com/topics/pre-history/stone-age
 The Prehistoric Ages.(2019 ,OCT 21).How Humans Lived
Before Written Records. Retrieved from
https://www.history.com/news

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 Questions and Answers

 In case of any query?

 You can contact me at: ambreen@uosahiwal.edu.pk

 Your Query will be answered within one working day

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Thank You

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