THE STONE AGE
The stone age was a period in which man used various tools made mainly by stone for different activities.
OR
The Stone Age, refers to the period of human development when most of man’s tools were made of stones.
The stone age is divided into three major periods which are:
1. The Early Stone Age,
2. The Middle Stone Age And
3. The Late Stone Age.
The stone age was a period in which man used various tools made mainly by stone for different activities.
OR
The Stone Age, refers to the period of human development when most of man’s tools were made of stones.
The stone age is divided into three major periods which are:
1. The Early Stone Age,
2. The Middle Stone Age And
3. The Late Stone Age.
1. THE EARLY OLD STONE AGE (PALEOLITHIC ERA)
It existed from about 1,500,000 BC to 750,000 BC in Africa in this stage man used simple or crude tools including pebbles, chopping and hand axes.
The stages of evolution of man associated with period are Australopithecus and Homo-habilis.
TOOLS MADE DURING THE EARLY STONE AGE
1. Were simple, crude and crude
2. Tools made were mainly pebbles, hand axes and chopping stones.
3. Man used stones to strike off flakes (small pieces) from other stones in order to produce tools.
4. The tools made are called Oldowan Tools.
Qn: why the early stone age tools are called Oldowan Tools.
Ans: because many of these remains were discovered in OLDUVAI GORGE.
USE OF THE TOOLS MADE DURING THIS PERIOD
1. To grind seeds
2. To kill and skin wild animals and other animals from which man got meat.
3. To dig up some roots for food
4. To defend man against harmful wild animals
5. To reap edible fruits from trees.
Note:
These tools used during this time did not allow man to maser his environment effectively. Man depended of his nature means that he could not get what he wanted / needed but depended on what was given by nature or environment.
Man lived nomadic life, shifting from one area to another searching for fruits and whatever nature could provide him, for his survival.
Areas with early stone age tools
Some areas in east Africa are like:
1. Olorgesaile – Kenya
2. Nsongezi – Uganda
3. Isimila near Iringa – Tanzania
4. Olduvai gorge – Tanzania
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN EARLY STONE AGE
The main economic activities during the early stone age were: hunting and gathering. The nature of this economic activity made man to be called “hunter – gather being”. Man hunted edible animals and gathered fruits and insects. Man was a scavenger eating meat that other animals like lion and leopard had left.
MODE OF SETTLEMENTS
Settlements of human being during the early stone age was in causes near lakes and rivers. Man settled near water sources because he could catch edible animals easily which used to come to drink water E.g Hadar and Awash valleys in Ethiopia. Man, also settled near water sources because had no containers to keep water for domestic use. Man had no permanent settlement, he lived nomadic life.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The physical change to man during their period were walking upright to some creatures especially during end of the period, use of four limbs to catch items, man still had a hairy body.
2. THE MIDDLE STONE AGE (MESOLITHIC ERA)
It started between 750,000 and 50,000 BC in this age man made and used better and specialized smaller stone tools. The middle stone age tools were needles, knives, spears and arrows.
During the middle Stone Age man improved his tools by reducing the size.
Man developed tools with handles. An example is Tang found in North Africa, Tang is believed by s scientists to be the first tool with a handle.
The stages of evolution of man associated with period is Homo-erectus. Therefore, it can be argued that, Homo-erectus lived during the Middle Stone Age.
The tools in middle stone Age are called Acheulian Tools also these tools are called Sangoan Tools. They are called Acheulian tools because they were discovered in a place called ST. Acheul in France, they are also called Sangoan tools because they were discovered at Sango Bay near Lake Victoria in Tanzania.
Uses of the middle stone age tools
1.To grid roots
2.Digging
3.Stabbing
4.Skinning animals
Economic activities: in the middle stone age period man was still hunting and gathering edible animals and fruits.
Physical characteristics
The physical changes that were experienced by man were: -
1. More enlargement of brain between 1000cm3 and 1500cm3
2. Man had smaller teeth and a well-rounded forehead.
N.B
It was during the middle stone age when creature known as Homo-erectus discovered fire. This is notable improvement (discovery) that changed his life and enabled man to master (control well) the environment / nature.
Advantages of the invention and use of fire
1. Fire was useful during cold seasons, they used fire to warm their bodies.
2. Man use fire to cook Man used to roast meat instead of eating raw-meat.
3. Fire was used by man to defend himself from the wild dangerous animals.
4. Fire was used for hunting animals
5. Fire was used for felling big trees for fire wood.
6. Fire was used to preserve perishable food such as meat through roasting.
7. Some was used for communication.
8. Fire enabled man to live in cold areas
9. Man increased his ability to master his environment.
Note:
Fire and technological improvement made man more adaptable to the environmental. The discovery of fire destroyed important vegetation when it was for burning grasses and felling big trees.
