Homo habilis, an early human who evolved around 2.3 million years ago, was probably the first to make stone tools. Our ancestor, modern man Homo sapiens emerged around 200,000 years ago. The Stone Age is divided into three periods; the Palaeolithic (old Stone Age), Mesolithic (middle Stone Age) and the Neolithic (new Stone Age).

Palaeolithic and Mesolithic people were nomadic hunter gatherers. They moved frequently following the animals that they hunted and gathering fruits and berries when they could. The dog was the first animal to be domesticated. This happened during the Mesolithic period. Dogs could help with the hunt, warn of danger and provide warmth and comfort.

Neanderthals died out around 30,000 years ago. The gradual development of agriculture and the domestication of animals during the Neolithic period meant that people could live in settled communities.

Stonehenge was built in phases from about 3100 B.C. to 1600 B.C. Yes, more than 5,000 years ago— during the Stone Age, long before the wheel was invented! We know this because scientists have used carbon dating to analyse the age of animal bones buried at the site. The monument consists of enormous stones laid out in concentric circles. The outermost circle is about 32 yards in diameter. The stones of the outer circle are sandstone columns connected by lintels about ten feet long. The lintels are shaped to the curve of the circle.