---
title: "Stone Age civilization"
subject: "Technology, Environment and Society"
chapter: 3
key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:stone-age-civilization"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/stone-age-civilization
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Stone Age civilization

Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 3: Brief History of Human Civilization

- Asked in: 2070 Chaitra, 4 marks
- Video: [Stone Age | Prehistoric age | Paleolithic | Mesolithic | Neolithic | Stone Age Humans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoA305dIWYU) — Primeval Old Man
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/stone-age-civilization
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-3

## Question

Explain Stone Age civilization.

## Short answer

The Stone Age, from about 2.5 million to 3000 BC, progressed from Paleolithic chipped tools and hunting to Neolithic polished tools and agriculture. The Neolithic Revolution brought farming, permanent villages, pottery, and set the stage for later civilizations.

## Answer

The **Stone Age** is the earliest and longest period of human history, when people mainly used tools made of **stone**, together with wood and bone. It began about 2.5–3 million years ago and ended when metal (copper and bronze) came into use, around 3000 BC in many regions.

#### Divisions of the Stone Age

| Period | Time (approx.) | Main features |
|---|---|---|
| **Paleolithic** (Old Stone Age) | 2.5 million – 10,000 BC | Rough chipped stone tools (hand axe), hunting and gathering, nomadic life, use of fire, caves, cave paintings |
| **Mesolithic** (Middle Stone Age) | 10,000 – 8,000 BC | Small sharp tools (microliths), bow and arrow, fishing, domestication of dog, semi-settled life |
| **Neolithic** (New Stone Age) | 8,000 – 3,000 BC | Polished tools, **agriculture** and animal rearing, permanent villages, pottery, weaving, the wheel near the end |

#### Key points

- **Tools and technology:** from crude stone choppers to polished axes, needles and sickles; fire for warmth, cooking and protection.
- **Economy:** hunting and gathering, later farming (Neolithic Revolution).
- **Society:** small bands and tribes, sharing of food, division of work by age and sex.
- **Culture:** burial of the dead, cave art (Lascaux, Bhimbetka), beliefs in nature spirits.
- **Significance:** the Neolithic Revolution created surplus food, settled villages and later cities, leading to the river valley civilisations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus) of the Bronze Age.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is the correct order of the Stone Age periods?
   A. Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic
   B. Neolithic, Mesolithic, Paleolithic
   C. Mesolithic, Paleolithic, Neolithic
   D. Paleolithic, Neolithic, Mesolithic
   Answer: A. Old, Middle and New Stone Age follow that order. (Key point: Stone Age divisions)

2. Which feature marks the Neolithic period?
   A. Nomadic hunting-gathering only
   B. Use of iron tools
   C. Agriculture, animal rearing, permanent villages and polished tools
   D. Microliths and bow and arrow only
   Answer: C. The Neolithic Revolution created surplus food and settled villages. (Key point: Neolithic features)

3. Which tools and features are typical of the Mesolithic?
   A. Polished axes and pottery
   B. Microliths, bow and arrow, fishing and domestication of the dog
   C. Rough hand axes only
   D. Bronze weapons
   Answer: B. Small sharp microliths and bow and arrow define the Middle Stone Age. (Key point: Mesolithic tools)

## Related in other subjects

- [Notes and summary: modernization and civilization](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotes-summary-modernization-civilization) — Communication English, chapter 1
- [Interpret: choices in an age of science](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Ainterpret-history-of-civilization-science) — Communication English, chapter 1