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Mesolithic Age

The Mesolithic Age was a transitional period between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, occurring around 8000-2700 BC in Northwestern Europe following the last ice age. Mesolithic cultures relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering food and developed new stone tools and techniques for adapting to changing environments as forests grew. Settlements were located along rivers and lakes where fish and shellfish were abundant. While still relying on hunting and gathering, Mesolithic cultures saw innovations like smaller microlith tools and beginnings of pottery and bow use.

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2K views2 pages

Mesolithic Age

The Mesolithic Age was a transitional period between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, occurring around 8000-2700 BC in Northwestern Europe following the last ice age. Mesolithic cultures relied on hunting, fishing, and gathering food and developed new stone tools and techniques for adapting to changing environments as forests grew. Settlements were located along rivers and lakes where fish and shellfish were abundant. While still relying on hunting and gathering, Mesolithic cultures saw innovations like smaller microlith tools and beginnings of pottery and bow use.

Uploaded by

Ramita Udayashankar
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MESOLITHIC AGE

Middle Stone Age, period in human development between the end of the Paleolithic period and the beginning of the Neolithic period. This ancient technological and cultural stage took place in Northwestern Europe around c. 8000 2700 B.C. It began with the end of the last glacial period over 10,000 years ago and evolved into the Neolithic period. This change involved the gradual domestication of plants and animals and the formation of settled communities at various times and places. The term Mesolithic was used specifically for the hunting and food gathering cultures of Europe in early postglacial times. The Mesolithic cultures lasted in Europe until almost 3000 B.C. Mesolithic cultures represent a wide variety of hunting, fishing, and food gathering techniques. This variety may be the result of adaptations to changed ecological conditions associated with the retreat of glaciers, the growth of forests in Europe and deserts in N Africa, and the disappearance of the large game of the Ice Age. Characteristic of the period were hunting and fishing settlements along rivers and on lake shores, where fish and mollusks were abundant. Though the mainstay of the Mesolithic remained hunting and food gathering, there was substantial innovations in the adaptive strategy. Microliths, the typical stone implements of the Mesolithic period, are smaller and more delicate than those of the late Paleolithic period. Pottery and the use of the bow developed, although their presence in Mesolithic cultures may only indicate contact with early Neolithic peoples. The Azilian culture, which was centered in the Pyrenees region but spread to Switzerland, Belgium, and Scotland, was one of the earliest representatives of Mesolithic culture in Europe. The Tardenoisian culture covered much of Europe. Most of these settlements are found on dunes or sandy areas. The Maglemosian, named for a site in Denmark, is found in the Baltic region and N England. It occurs in the middle of the Mesolithic period. It is there that hafted axes, an improvement over the Paleolithic hand axe, and bone tools are found. The Ertebolle culture, also named for a site in Denmark, spans most of the late Mesolithic. It is also known as the kitchen-midden culture for the large deposits of mollusk shells found around the settlements. The Mesolithic period in other areas is represented by the Natufian in the Middle East, the Badarian and Gerzean in Egypt, and the Capsian in N Africa. Natufian is referred to as a Mesolithic culture because it was recognized essentially as a huntergatherer culture, which was been later, modified to suit the post glacial environment. The Natufian culture marks the transition from Palaeolithic/Mesolithic to Neolithic. The Mesolithic economy is marked by intensive collection of plants. It saw the beginnings of sedentism. Relationships of exchange between groups intensified. There is sufficient evidence to indicate an overall growth in population as well as

increased density in certain areas. The adaptive strategy of West Asia during the Mesolithic led to the beginnings of food production in this region.

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