When did the term Paleolithic arrive and who coined it?
The word Paleolithic arrived in 1865 when archaeologist John Lubbock coined it from Greek roots. He combined palaios meaning old with lithos meaning stone to create Old Stone Age.
Questions about Paleolithic
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How many years ago did the Paleolithic period end according to current consensus?
The end of the Paleolithic came roughly 11,650 calendar years before present marking the transition to warmer climates. This date marks the start of the Holocene epoch following the last glacial maximum.
Which hominin species first used stone tools around 2.6 million years ago?
Australopithecus groups first used stone tools around 2.6 million years ago in Gona Ethiopia. Homo habilis followed with simple choppers found at sites dating back that same period.
What major climate changes occurred during the Pleistocene epoch affecting early humans?
Glacial periods pushed continental ice sheets down to the 40th parallel during the Pleistocene epoch. Sea levels dropped by over 100 meters as water locked into thick ice sheets covering continents.
When and where were the oldest known figurative paintings created?
The oldest known figurative painting depicts a bull found in Lubang Jeriji Saléh cave Indonesia dating 40,000 to 52,000 years ago. Cave paintings in Dordogne France show half-human half-animal figures suggesting shamanistic practices during the Upper Paleolithic.