Prehistoric Man

Prehistoric man in his present form emerged on the earth about 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. Quite early in his existence he made tools and weapons made of stone. He lived by gathering food or hunting. This period is called the Stone Age. It is divided into three parts: the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) and the Neolithic (New Stone Age). The Old Stone Age lasted upto about 10,000 BC During this time he made nearly all his tools and weapons from hard stones such as flint and quartzite. During the Mesolithic Age when the earth became covered with swamps and forests he became a fisher and a hunter of birds and harvested fruits and grains. During the New Stone Age he settled down and organised agriculture and cattle rearing. The first villages sprang up and by the middle of the period the first great cities appeared.