Knowing the Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic Period

Stretching 2.6 million years ago to 10 thousand years ago, the most drastic transformation in the way we live today occurred. An adjustment and improvement in climate, tool production and use, as well as hunting small to large prey with a variety of techniques develops. The Paleolithic Age was the birth of growth for the world today. Beginning with the Lower Paleolithic age and ending with the Upper Paleolithic period, the drastic diversity will be demonstrated.

Lower Paleolithic Era

The beginning of the Paleolithic Period starts with the Lower Paleolithic Age, beginning 2.6 million years ago and ending 250 thousand years ago. This industry was associated with Homo habilis people and lived in a drier savannah climate. Homo habilis was the first to leave Africa between 1.6 million years ago and 300 thousand years ago. During this period, few Acheulian industry tools were found in Africa while the majority were found in Asia. These tools included the bifaced hand axe, and the cleaver. The word “biface” describes a tool where both sides of the stone were worked to sculpt it into its final shape. The hand axe was mainly used for pounding and for chopping while the cleaver was a thinner version of the hand axe and used for cleaving, splitting or severing, rather than pounding. These tools were also used for scavenging small prey, cleave the mean off the carcass and to break bones to extract the marrow within. (Bower 1977: 113-126). Hand axes and cleavers were made by flaking elephant long bones and tusk tips by flexion while it produced a repetitive shape. This shape can also be constructed by grinding and polishing retouch of the tusks. (Villa and D’errico 2001:77).

From 30 thousand years ago, technology, social structures ...

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