Stone Age quiz: What do you know about the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic?

Stonehenge, Salisbury, UK, July 30, 2024; Stunning aerial view of the spectacular historical monument of Stonehenge stone circles, Wiltshire, England, UK.
Stonehenge is one of the most famous monuments that was built during the Stone Age. (Image credit: Dave0 via Shutterstock)

The Stone Age was a prehistoric period that lasted more than 3 million years, from the point when human ancestors began using stone tools until the time we invented metalworking.

Archaeologists often break up this lengthy time span into three periods — the Paleolithic (3.3 million to 12,000 years ago), the Mesolithic (12,000 to 10,000 years ago), and the Neolithic (10,000 to 4,000 years ago) — although there is regional variation in dates.

While the Paleolithic period involved a nomadic lifestyle and the invention of stone tools, the Neolithic period was ushered in with the development of agriculture and settled communities.

Are you up to date on recent research on the Stone Age? Don't take your knowledge for granite — try your best to rock our gneiss little quiz.

Remember to log in to put your name on the leaderboard; hints are available if you click the yellow button. May the quartz be with you!

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Kristina Killgrove
Staff writer

Kristina Killgrove is a staff writer at Live Science with a focus on archaeology and paleoanthropology news. Her articles have also appeared in venues such as Forbes, Smithsonian, and Mental Floss. Killgrove holds postgraduate degrees in anthropology and classical archaeology and was formerly a university professor and researcher. She has received awards from the Society for American Archaeology and the American Anthropological Association for her science writing.

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