Palaeolithic

British  

/ ˌpælɪəʊˈlɪθɪk /

noun

1. the period of the emergence of primitive man and the manufacture of unpolished chipped stone tools, about 2.5 million to 3 million years ago until about 12 000 _bc . See also Lower Palaeolithic Middle Palaeolithic Upper Palaeolithic

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adjective

1. (sometimes not capital) of or relating to this period

Example Sentences

One of the central questions guiding the research is how Neanderthals and Homo sapiens interacted during the mid-Middle Palaeolithic in this region.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

"As such, it reflects every part of human history, from the Palaeolithic to more modern times, across the whole of England and Wales," he said.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2024

During Palaeolithic times it contained a shallow lake.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 2, 2023

Plant residues found on grinding or pounding tools from the European later Palaeolithic period suggest early modern humans crushed and roasted wild grass seeds.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2022

Although these deceptively simple ancient flutes are almost all that survives of Palaeolithic music, acoustic scientists have recently made an extraordinary discovery about the lifesaving importance of music to cave-dwellers of this period.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall