Lower Paleolithic
Earliest tool period
The Lower Paleolithic is the earliest and longest division of the Stone Age, spanning roughly from 3.3 million to 300,000 years ago.
It encompasses the emergence of the first stone tools and the evolution of early human ancestors including Homo erectus.
Lower Paleolithic hand axes show surprisingly sophisticated craftsmanship.
- handaxeKnapped stone implement
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- Homo heidelbergensisPrehistoric human species, mid-Pleistocene
- fossil recordRemains documenting prehistoric life
- Homo erectusExtinct bipedal human ancestor
Ice Age · early humans · knapping · stone tools · hominid · choppers · hand tools · butchering · cut marks · fire · East Africa · flint · savanna · core · flake · migration · hunting · big game
- Stone Agecave painting, hand ax, handaxes, hand axe, hand axes
- Historical AgesStone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Copper Age, Golden Age
chronological position in human prehistory
Lower PaleolithicNeolithic
Final prehistoric stone-tool era
Mesolithic · Bronze Age · Iron Age · Holocene · modern era