The Mesolithic or the Middle Stone Age is an archaeological period between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic. It began after the end of the last ice age, about 10.500 BC (for Europe). The Mesolithic ended when people switched to agriculture and livestock, with developing numerous new techniques. The name comes from the Greek ‘mesos’ (= ‘middle’) and ‘lithos’ (= stone). The time spans however are different in Eurasia. In Europe it spans roughly 15.000 to 5000 BC. In Southwest Asia, the Mesolithic spans roughly 20.000 to 8000 BC.

The type of culture is associated with a decline in the group hunting of large animals in favor of a broader hunter-gatherer way of life. This comes with the development of more sophisticated and typical smaller lithic tools and weapons than the heavy-clipped equivalents of the Paleolithic. In some regions, some use of pottery and textile may be found in sites. More permanent settlements tend to be close to the sea or inland waters. Mesolithic societies are not seen as very complex.

The end of the Paleolithic is not defined by a change of culture but by the end of the Ice Age. Some archaeologists see the Mesolithic as a continuation of the Paleolithic. We prefer to examen it apart. The term “Epipaleolithic” is sometimes used alongside “Mesolithic” for the end of the Paleolithic. In some areas, “epipaleolithic” is preferred. The last is referring to hunter-gatherer cultures who are not succeeded by the agriculture.

Hunting, fishing, and gathering were the livelihoods of the people of Mesolithic cultures. Settlements were rather temporary. Stone working techniques became more sophisticated, with an increased occurrence of microlites. This type of stone toolkit remains one of the most diagnostic features for the Mesolithic. Paleolithic tools were manufactured utilizing Modes I-IV. The Mesolithic hominini manufactured devices with Mode V chipped stone tools or microliths. There is some evidence for the beginning of construction at sites with a ritual or astronomical significance, e.g., Stonehenge, dating to before 9000 BC. Mesolithic adaptations are cited as evidence of the transition to agriculture, the start of the Neolithic. For hunter-gatherer communities, long-term close contacts and integration in existing farming communities facilitated the adoption of a farming lifestyle. This integration was made possible by their socially open character towards new members.

In North-Eastern Europe, the hunting and fishing lifestyle continued into the Medieval period in regions less suited for agriculture. The European Mesolithic did not end everywhere at once. Agriculture gradually spread across the continent. Due to the climatic conditions, the Neolithic penetrated only to a limited extent in some parts of the world.