STONE AGE TECHNOLOGY

Stone Age Time Period
The Stone Age began at
the beginning of what
would become human
civilization. It goes on
until the discovery of
smelting. Smelting
allowed people to
create tools made out
of metal and stone
tools became obsolete.

Stone Age Tools
Most tools in the Stone
Age were created to
help humans survive.
These tools were used
for hunting, agriculture,
and food preparation.
They were made out of
different stones and
this is the reason that
this time period is
known as the Stone
Age.

Fire
Fire is an example of
Stone Age technology.
It may seem primitive
now but 2 million years
ago it was necessary
for survival. Fire
allowed early humans
to control their
environment.

The Wheel
The wheel is another
good example of
technology from the
Stone Age. Early
humans used this to
move more quickly
through the use of
chariots and other
wheeled vehicles.

The Wheel (Continued)
The wheel begins to
appear in around the 4th
millennium BC. It was
discovered in Central
Europe and
Mesopotamia at around
the same time. It is not
clear which society
discovered it first.

Flint knapping
Flint knapping is a
technique that early
humans used to shape
stones for the creation
of tools. Stones such as
flint, and other flaky
stones, can be shaped
by chipping the flakes
away to create an edge.

Atlatl
The atlatl is a tool that
allowed humans to
throw spears farther
and faster. The animals
hunted by early humans
were strong and
dangerous. The atlatl
helped to give people
an edge.

Clothing
Humans in the stone
age had to use the pelts
of animals for clothing.
It was a difficult process
to make skins suitable
to be used as clothing.
They had to be de-
haired, washed, dried, a
nd stretched before
they were suitable for
use.

Bow and Arrow
The bow and arrow was
a very useful tool during
the stone age. It
allowed humans to kill
their food from longer
ranges, helping to keep
them safe. This
discovery made hunting
much easier and safer.

Boat
Early humans also
created primitive boats
that allowed them to
hunt. These boats were
not useful for long-
distance travel
however. Evidence of
these boats is generally
found up north in colder
environments.

Pottery
Pottery was a later
invention in the
Neolithic era. Pottery
allowed prehistoric
humans to store food
for longer periods. This
allowed them to settle
down and lay the
ground work for
civilization.

Civilization as a Whole
Stone Age humans laid
the foundation for all of
civilization. Without our
prehistoric ancestors
we would not have
civilization as we know
it. History is just a
continuation of the
discoveries that
humans made in the
Stone Age.