The Stone Age

Genus Homo Most artifacts found in this era were made of stone that is how this era came by it’s name Humans living during the Stone Age belong to the genus Homo The genus is divided into two species Homo Erectus and Homo Sapiens

Stages of the Stone Age Stage 1 Paleolithic or Old Stone Age 2 million BCE BCE Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age BCE BCE Neolithic or New Stone Age 8000 BCE-5000 BCE

Homo Habilis Known as the “handyman” First hominids to develop and use stone tools Widespread in Africa around 2.5 million years ago

Homo Erectus First appeared 2 million years ago in Africa, Java, and China Had the ability to walk fully upright Probably survived by hunting wild animals, and gathering plants for food. Made tools from stone, bone, and wood First species to use fire First species to migrate to Europe

Homo Sapiens The “man who thinks” First species to form a spoken language Developed sophisticated tools First remains found in Hungary in 1965.

Neanderthals Lived in Central Europe, but later moved to Central Asia and later the Middle East Descendants from the species Homo Erectus Survived as hunters (elk, bison,mammoth) and gatherers (plants, shellfish, small reptiles) Life was hard and dangerous with a short life expectancy

Homo Sapiens Sapiens Modern humans that entered Europe Able to make clothing, shelters, and hearths Aka Cro-Magnums after a rock shelter found in France Cro-Magnums were homo sapiens that evolved in Africa and slowly made their way into Europe and eventually into Asia They crossed the Bering Strait and entered the Americas.