Stone Age and Palaeolithic Era Practice Flashcards

These vocabulary flashcards cover the stages of the Stone Age, types of tool-making methods, and artistic expressions of the Palaeolithic period based on the Social Science I lecture notes.

Stone Age

The phase of human history where humans used stones to make tools and weapons.

Palaeolithic

A term derived from the Greek words 'palaeos' (old) and 'lithos' (stone) used to describe the first stage of the Stone Age.

Palaeolithic Age characteristic

The use of rough (unpolished) stone tools.

Utilisation

A method of using available stones without changing their shape.

Fashioning

The method of using available stones by changing the shape according to the need.

Standardisation

The method of making specific tools for each purpose.

Core

The largest piece of stone when a stone is broken into two or more pieces, used to make core tools.

Flakes

The smaller pieces of stone when a stone is broken, used to make flake tools.

Chopper-Chopping tools

Stone tools made using the blade technique towards the end of the Palaeolithic period.

Chauvet and Lascaux

Caves in France where depictions of animals illustrate early communication techniques, rituals, or beliefs.

Venus figurine

An ivory sculpture found in Zaraysk, Russia, from the Palaeolithic period.

Cussac Cave

A cave in France featuring carved figures of an animal and a woman.

La Garma Cave

A site in Spain where carvings on bones were found, providing evidence of early human artistic skills.

Palaeolithic paint composition

Colors made by grinding plants, tree bark, and fruits, then mixing them with red stone powder.

Palaeolithic artistic tools

Stone needles and sharp-edged weapons used to create stone carvings.