The Stone Age

â??Stone Ageâ?? is a term conventionally used to refer to a broad prehistoric time period during which humans widely used stone for tool making. The period encompasses the first widespread use of technology in human evolution and the spread of humanity from Africa to the rest of the world. It ends with the introduction of farming and iron technology.

The term includes not only the stone tools but also the association of all the things that were made and used by people â?? artefacts (Deacon & Deacon 1999).

The Stone Age is chronologically divided into a three-age system: Early, Middle and Later Stone Age. The Early Stone Age (ESA) is characterised by large bifacial (flaked over both faces) artefacts, with handaxes being the diagnostic form.

The Middle Stone Age (MSA) was characterized by the use of cores â?? pieces of stone skilfully prepared to produce flakes of regular triangular or parallel-sided shape.

Lastly the Later Stone Age (LSA) was marked by the production of microlithic (small) tools and blades, associated with rock art and burials (Deacon & Deacon 1999).