Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to the Palaeolithic period: Of or pertaining to the early phase of the Stone Age, characterized by the use of chipped stone tools and a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. This period began approximately 2.5 million years ago and lasted until the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 BCE.

2. Noun (proper noun, often capitalized):

   • The Palaeolithic period: The second part of the Stone Age, following the Eolithic, beginning about 750,000 to 500,000 years BC and lasting until the end of the last ice age about 8,500 years BC. It is divided into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Palaeolithic.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Archaeologists discovered palaeolithic tools at the site. (The tools are from the Palaeolithic era.)
  • The cave paintings provide insight into palaeolithic art. (The art is characteristic of that ancient period.)

• Noun:

  • Human evolution saw significant developments during the Palaeolithic. (This refers to the entire historical period.)
  • The transition from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic is marked by the advent of agriculture. (It is used as the name of an age.)

Advanced Usage

• "Palaeolithic diet": A modern nutritional plan based on the presumed diet of Palaeolithic humans, consisting mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, and excluding dairy and grain products.
  • Some people follow a palaeolithic diet for health reasons.

Variants and Related Words

• Paleolithic: The American English spelling variant of "palaeolithic". Both forms are correct and interchangeable.

  • The Paleolithic era is also known as the Old Stone Age.

• Palaeoanthropology (n): The scientific study of ancient humans and their fossil remains, often from the Palaeolithic period.

  • Palaeoanthropology helps us understand early human migration.

Synonyms

• Old Stone Age: The direct synonym for the Palaeolithic period.
• Early Stone Age: A less common but descriptive synonym.

Related Phrases

• Palaeolithic art: Refers to the artistic creations, such as cave paintings and figurines, produced during this period.

  • The Lascaux caves in France are famous for their Palaeolithic art.

• Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers: Describes the primary subsistence strategy of humans in this era.

  • Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers followed animal herds for food.

Adjective

1. of or relating to the second period of the Stone Age (following the eolithic)
   • paleolithic artifacts

Noun

1. second part of the Stone Age beginning about 750,00 to 500,000 years BC and lasting until the end of the last ice age about 8,500 years BC