PALEOLITHIC - (Old Stone Age). 2 million years ago to about 8000 BC. Actually paleo means ancient and lithic stone. It’s during this period that the “human ape” according to the evolution theory goes through the stages of “Homo Habilis”, “Homo Erectus” to “Homo Sapiens”. (You can read more about this in “Chain of evolution”)

MESOLITHIC - (Middle Stone Age). 8000 – 6000 BC. During this period we can see a further advancement in tool and weapon making. One example is the MICROLITH – a small pointed blade used for knives, arrow points and spearheads. Other things noticeable;

• Fine crude pottery. Sun-baked clay used to store food and water
• Bow and arrow (came either late in the Paleolithic period or in the Mesolithic period)
• Dogs became domesticated
• Fish became very common as base food. Inventions of the fishhook, numerous types of nets and “boats”…

NEOLITHIC - (New Stone Age). 6000 – 3000 BC. Now tools and weapons becomes much more specialized but the biggest change was that people learned to tame animals (sheep, goats, pigs, cattle) and grow food to farm. This last thing, to go from a food gathering to a food producing society is the biggest revolution men have ever gone through. The scientists call it the NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION! People also learned how to spin and weave… The Neolithic revolution changed the society radically. Groups of families joined together in simple types of communities. Due to the farming they also established permanent settlements. To protect “their land” farmers formed villages and small towns. The first food- producing societies were probably controlled by a smaller group of arms-bearing men. Later it was the wealthier members that governed the village or town. Some chiefs became recognized as a ruler and they then made the decisions for the whole group… The more complicated the society became the more need for some rules that specified punishments for who ever broke these rules (Laws). The importance of religion increases during this stage.

BRONZE AGE - 3000 – 1000 BC. Around 3000 BC people started to use metal – copper when they made tools and weapons. Soon they started to melt copper and tin together (= bronze). This metal was easier to shape, it was harder and it gave a sharper cutting edge…