Topic - Introduction to Prehistory
Subtopic - Prehistoric Beginning
Heading - Geological (New 2019)
Beginning of Prehistoric era
Mesolithic period
The Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of
human technology between the Palaeolithic and Neolithic.
The Mesolithic period began with the retreat of glaciers at the end of
the Pleistocene epoch, some 10,000 BP, and ended with the introduction of
agriculture, the date of which varied by geographic region.
In some areas, such as the Near East, agriculture was already underway by the end
of the Pleistocene, and there the Mesolithic is short and poorly defined.
In areas with limited glacial impact, the term "Epipalaeolithic" is preferred.
Regions that experienced greater environmental effects as the last ice age ended
have a much more evident Mesolithic era, lasting millennia.
In Northern Europe, societies were able to live well on rich food supplies from
the marshlands fostered by the warmer climate. Such conditions produced
distinctive human behaviours that are preserved in the material record, such as
the Maglemosian and Azilian cultures.
These conditions also delayed the coming of the Neolithic until as late as 4000 BCE
(6,000 BP) in northern Europe.
Remains from this period are few and far between, often limited. In forested areas,
the first signs of deforestation have been found, although this would only begin in
earnest during the Neolithic, when more space was needed for agriculture.
The Mesolithic is characterized in most areas by small composite flint tools :
microliths and microburins.
Fishing tackle, stone adzes, and wooden objects such as canoes and bows have been
found at some sites. These technologies first occur in Africa, associated with the
Azilian cultures, before spreading to Europe through the Iberomaurusian culture of
Northern Africa and the Kebaran culture of the Levant.
During the Mesolithic period (about 10,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C.), humans used small
stone tools, now also polished and sometimes crafted with points and attached to
antlers, bone or wood to serve as spears and arrows.
Subtopic - Prehistoric Beginning
Heading - Geological (New 2019)
Beginning of Prehistoric era
Mesolithic period
The Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of
human technology between the Palaeolithic and Neolithic.
The Mesolithic period began with the retreat of glaciers at the end of
the Pleistocene epoch, some 10,000 BP, and ended with the introduction of
agriculture, the date of which varied by geographic region.
In some areas, such as the Near East, agriculture was already underway by the end
of the Pleistocene, and there the Mesolithic is short and poorly defined.
In areas with limited glacial impact, the term "Epipalaeolithic" is preferred.
Regions that experienced greater environmental effects as the last ice age ended
have a much more evident Mesolithic era, lasting millennia.
In Northern Europe, societies were able to live well on rich food supplies from
the marshlands fostered by the warmer climate. Such conditions produced
distinctive human behaviours that are preserved in the material record, such as
the Maglemosian and Azilian cultures.
These conditions also delayed the coming of the Neolithic until as late as 4000 BCE
(6,000 BP) in northern Europe.
Remains from this period are few and far between, often limited. In forested areas,
the first signs of deforestation have been found, although this would only begin in
earnest during the Neolithic, when more space was needed for agriculture.
The Mesolithic is characterized in most areas by small composite flint tools :
microliths and microburins.
Fishing tackle, stone adzes, and wooden objects such as canoes and bows have been
found at some sites. These technologies first occur in Africa, associated with the
Azilian cultures, before spreading to Europe through the Iberomaurusian culture of
Northern Africa and the Kebaran culture of the Levant.
During the Mesolithic period (about 10,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C.), humans used small
stone tools, now also polished and sometimes crafted with points and attached to
antlers, bone or wood to serve as spears and arrows.
