Exercises on the Paleolithic Period

Describe the daily lives of men during the Paleolithic Period.

What was the biggest discovery of that time? And what are the implications of it for human daily life.

What are cave paintings? And what is their historical importance?

Why the Paleolithic Period is also known as the “Split Stone Age”.

When and what were the important transformations that took place at the end of the Paleolithic Period.

At that time, men lived in caves and survived by hunting, fishing and gathering fruit. Their clothing was made from animal skin and served as protection against the planet's low temperatures. Living in small communities, Paleolithic men lived in constant displacement looking for regions that offered the best possible living conditions.

According to some scholars, the mastery of fire was the most significant discovery of those times. Through such a resource, men were able to protect themselves from the periods when the winter was more severe and from the constant attacks of animals. In addition, fire allowed eating habits to be modified with the introduction of cooked foods into the diet of that period.

Cave paintings are drawings and engravings left by Paleolithic men on rocks or inside caves. Generally, these engravings contain the representation of some animals of the period, the development of some daily activities and the performance of rituals. From a historical point of view, cave painting is of great importance as it is one of the oldest documentary sources that man has about his past.

The Paleolithic Period is also known as the “Slapped Stone Age” due to the utensils used at that time. Generally, men made tools out of stone, bone and wood. In many cases, chipped stone was used in the design of axes, hammers, harpoons and blades. In addition to these materials, some communities at that time made bone hooks and needles or used the bow and arrow.

At the end of the Paleolithic, around 30000 BC, the planet earth underwent an intense cooling with the occurrence of the fourth glaciation. During that time, the vegetation and fauna of several regions were profoundly altered. In this context, the difficulties for the nomadic life became much greater, and so men developed the first experiments that would give rise to agriculture.