The Stone Age

Scientists studying the history of early humans define several different stages in the development of culture and technology. At the stage called the Stone Age, prehistoric humans and human ancestors made tools out of stone. Stone implements were used to hunt, skin, and butcher animals, to dig up roots and cut apart plants, to chop down trees and work wood and bone, as weapons, and for many other purposes. The Stone Age was not one specific time period, as different cultures in different parts of the world reached this stage at different points.

Books:

• Stone Age: A library collection of all our resources that relate to the Stone Age.

Databases:

• Britannica Launchpacks - Human Origins: Learn more about the Stone Age inside this launchpack.

• Britannica School Middle: Search the middle school level for more information about the Stone Age.

• Gale in Context - Middle School: Learn more about the neolithic era, the paleolithic era, or the mesolithic era.

• World Book Student: Access hundreds of articles and images about the Stone Age.

Websites:

• History.com - Stone Age: The Stone Age marks a period of prehistory in which humans used primitive stone tools.

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Explore topics such as Stone Age tools, hunting and foraging, shelters, human fossils, and more.

• World History Encyclopedia - Stone Age: Non-profit organization publishing the world's most-read history encyclopedia.