The Neolithic Revolution: The Paleolithic Stone Age

Chapter 5: The Neolithic Revolution

For about two million years, our hominid ancestors were shaping rocks into stone axes to be tied to their long spears or for use in cutting through the flesh of the animals they had killed for food. Homo erectus had been that species, a species that had wandered far and wide out of Africa and into the Indonesian archipelago. They were built to run and were hairless, allowing the sweat to cool off their bodies during the hunt. With their ability to make and control fire, they huddled around their campfires, becoming more involved socially. This was the beginning of our humanity. Thus began the Paleolithic Stone Age (Old Stone Age) that lasted from two millions years ago to 30,000 years before the present time. That is a long time span where our ancestors utilized the same kind of tools. But at about 30,000 years ago, their stone tool repertoire began to change, becoming smaller with finely carved stone microliths and thin bone needles for sewing hide for clothing. These lighter spears were made by older Homo sapiens peoples that had left Africa 100,000 years ago. Their lighter, more efficient technology was advantageous in the struggle to hunt successfully.

It is much older than Stonehenge, dating back to 3200 B.C. and regarded by archaeologists as a temple complex with stone edifices shaping a manmade landscape. At its very center stands the largest stone monolith accurately aligned with the spring and fall equinoxes. Was it a symbol of the connection between heaven and earth, as its National Geographic author, Roff Smith, maintains? Certainly, these megalithic sites are saying something which our modern day psyche does not understand. But I would like to think that we are not so different from our predecessors on the Orkney Islands. Perhaps we need to delve deeper if we are to understand