An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A prehistoric period during which the main material used to make tools and weapons was stone.

The Stone Age is usually divided into three separate periods (Paleolithic Period, Mesolithic Period, and Neolithic Period) based on the degree of sophistication in the fashioning and use of tools. The Paleolithic time period is by far the longest, beginning some two million years ago and ending around 10,000 BC to coincide with the end of the last ice age (Pleistocene epoch).

See also: → stone; → age.