Prehistoric Humans

​The first part of the Stone Age is called the Paleolithic (pay-lee-uh-LI-thik) Era, or Old Stone Age. It lasted until about ten thousand years ago. During this time, people used stone tools.

These sharpened stones, about the size of an adult’s fist, are about 2.6 million years old. Each stone had been struck with another rock to create a sharp, jagged edge along one side. This process left one unsharpened side that could be used as a handle.

​Over time, people learned to make better tools. For example, they developed the hand ax. They often made this tool out of a mineral called flint. Flint is easy to shape, and tools made from it can be very sharp. People used hand axes to break tree limbs, to dig, and to cut animal hides.

​As early humans developed tools and new hunting techniques, they formed societies. A society is a community of people who share a common culture. These societies developed cultures with languages, religions, and art.

The early humans of the Stone Age were hunter-gatherers—people who hunt animals and gather wild plants, seeds, fruits, and nuts to survive.

​During the Old Stone Age, climate patterns around the world changed, transforming Earth‘s geography. In response to these changes, people began to migrate, or move, to new places.

Most scientists believe that about 1.6 million years ago, many places around the world began to experience long periods of freezing weather. These freezing times are called the ice ages. The ice ages ended about ten thousand years ago.

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(Play HMH clip on the Ice Ages)​

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​During the ice ages, huge sheets of ice covered much of Earth‘s land. These ice sheets were formed from ocean water, leaving ocean levels lower than they are now. Many areas that are now underwater were dry land then. For example, a narrow body of water now separates Asia and North America. But scientists think that during the ice ages, the ocean level dropped and exposed a land bridge, a strip of land connecting two continents. Land bridges allowed Stone Age people to migrate around the world.