A catch-all phrase for the period of human prehistory characterised by the use of stone tools. In Britain, the Stone Age covers a huge span of time – from the first traces of human occupation in about 450,000 BC to the first metalworking at the beginning of the Bronze Age, around 2300 BC. Archaeologists prefer the more clearly defined periods: Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic, which are themselves divided up into shorter sub-periods. See also ages.
(archeology) the earliest known period of human culture, characterized by the use of stone implements
This is a general term for the earlier part of prehistory before the discovery of metalworking. The Stone Age is subdivided into the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.
The earliest technological period of human culture when tools were made of stone, bone or antler. It is divided into three periods Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.
The earliest technological period in human culture when tools were made of stone, wood, bone, or antlers. Metal was unknown. The dates of the Stone Age vary considerably from one region to another, and some communities were still living a Stone Age life until very recent times. It is subdivided into the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. The Stone Age was followed by the Bronze Age and then the Iron Age.
The Stone Age is a period of history that encompasses the first widespread use of technology in human evolution and the spread of humanity from the savannas of East Africa to the rest of the world. It ends with the development of agriculture, the domestication of certain animals and the smelting of copper ore to produce metal. It is termed prehistoric, since humanity had not yet started writing -- the traditional start of history (i.e. recorded history).