Question

Prepare a table with three columns – Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic – and fill in their distinctive features: tools, settlements, art, and subsistence.

Answer 1

Feature	Palaeolithic	Mesolithic	Neolithic
Tools	Large, rough stone tools such as hand axes and cleavers	Smaller, sharper microliths and improved stone tools	Polished stone tools, axes and sickles
Settlements	Mostly nomadic; lived in caves and temporary shelters	Semi-nomadic; stayed in places for longer periods	Permanent settlements with houses and villages
Art	Cave paintings and rock art, often showing animals and hunting	Rock paintings showing hunting, dancing and daily activities	Pottery, decorative objects and more developed art and crafts
Subsistence	Hunting animals and gathering fruits, roots, nuts and plants	Hunting, fishing and gathering; some early animal domestication	Farming and domestication of animals; production and storage of food