1. Man's earliest ancestors sought protection from the elements and predators in natural
shelters such as caves and rock overhangs. G radually, they learned to improve
their caves with inlaid stone floors, walls at the entrances and fireplaces. Ultimately they
began creating entirely new habitats in locations that had no natural shelter.
Historians divide the stone age into three different periods, based on the sophistication and
methods of tool design. The first such period is referred to as the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age.
The Old Stone Age began about 2 million years ago with the development of the first tools by
Homo Habilis, and lasted until around 12,000 years ago.
The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age began around 12,000 years ago, and continued through
about 8,000 years ago. The Neolithic or New Stone Age lasted from 8,000 years until around
5,000 years ago.
One of the most important advancements in human history was the
development and use of tools. Tools allowed hominids to become the
masters of their environments, to hunt, to build, and to perform
important tasks that made life easier for them. The first tools were
made out of stone. Thus, historians refer to the period of time before
written history as the stone age.
Think of life for women in the Stone Age and you've probably got them in crudely fashioned
dresses made of animal skin, perhaps being dragged across the cave floor by their hair. Now
think finely woven hats, belts and skirts - and a place in the highest echelons of society. That's
what a new discovery tells us about women and their clothes in the upper Paleolithic.