The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic , also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός palaios, "old" and λίθος lithos, "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehistoric technology. It extends from the earliest known use of stone tools by hominins, c. 3.3 million years ago, to the end of the Pleistocene, c. 11,650 cal BP.
The Paleolithic Age in Europe preceded the Mesolithic Age, although the date of the transition varies geographically by several thousand years. During the Paleolithic Age, hominins grouped together in small societies such as bands and subsisted by gathering plants, fishing, and hunting or scavenging wild animals. The Paleolithic Age is characterized by the use of knapped stone tools, although at the time humans also used wood and bone tools. Other organic commodities were adapted for use as tools, including leather and vegetable fibers; however, due to rapid decomposition, these have not survived to any great degree.
About 50,000 years ago, a marked increase in the diversity of artifacts occurred. In Africa, bone artifacts and the first art appear in the archaeological record. The first evidence of human fishing is also noted, from artifacts in places such as Blombos cave in South Africa. Archaeologists classify artifacts of the last 50,000 years into many different categories, such as projectile points, engraving tools, Sharp knife blades, and drilling and piercing tools.
Humankind gradually evolved from early members of the genus Homo—such as Homo habilis, who used simple stone tools—into anatomically modern humans as well as behaviourally modern humans by the Upper Paleolithic. During the end of the Paleolithic Age, specifically the Middle or Upper Paleolithic Age, humans began to produce the earliest works of art and to engage in religious or spiritual behavior such as burial and ritual. Conditions during the Paleolithic Age went through a set of glacial and interglacial periods in which the climate periodically fluctuated between warm and cool temperatures. Archaeological and genetic data suggest that the source populations of Paleolithic humans survived in sparsely-wooded areas and dispersed through areas of high primary productivity while avoiding dense forest-cover.
By c. 50,000 – c. 40,000 BP, the first humans set foot in Australia. By c. 45,000 BP, humans lived at 61°N latitude in Europe. By c. 30,000 BP, Japan was reached, and by c. 27,000 BP humans were present in Siberia, above the Arctic Circle. By the end of the Upper Paleolithic Age humans had crossed Beringia and expanded throughout the Americas.
Nearly all of our knowledge of Paleolithic people and way of life comes from archaeology and ethnographic comparisons to modern hunter-gatherer cultures such as the !Kung San who live similarly to their Paleolithic predecessors. The economy of a typical Paleolithic society was a hunter-gatherer economy. Humans hunted wild animals for meat and gathered food, firewood, and materials for their tools, clothes, or shelters.
Population density was very low, around only 0.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (1/sq mi). This was most likely due to low body fat, infanticide, high levels of physical activity among women, late weaning of infants, and a nomadic lifestyle. Like contemporary hunter-gatherers, Paleolithic humans enjoyed an abundance of leisure time unparalleled in both Neolithic farming societies and modern industrial societies. At the end of the Paleolithic, specifically the Middle or Upper Paleolithic, people began to produce works of art such as cave paintings, rock art and jewellery and began to engage in religious behavior such as burials and rituals.
Stone Age Art
The oldest known Stone Age art dates back to a later Stone Age period known as the Upper Paleolithic, about 40,000 years ago. Art began to appear around this time in parts of Europe, the Near East, Asia and Africa.
The earliest known depiction of a human in Stone Age art is a small ivory sculpture of a female figure with exaggerated breasts and genitalia. The figurine is named the Venus of Hohle Fels, after the cave in Germany in which it was discovered. It’s about 40,000 years old.
Humans started carving symbols and signs onto the walls of caves during the Stone Age using hammerstones and stone chisels.
These early murals, called petroglyphs, depict scenes of animals. Some may have been used as early maps, showing trails, rivers, landmarks, astronomical markers and symbols communicating time and distance traveled.
Shamans, too, may have created cave art while under the influence of natural hallucinogens.
The earliest petroglyphs were created around 40,000 years ago. Archaeologists have discovered petroglyphs on every continent besides Antarctica.
Humanity 100,000 Years Ago - Life In The Paleolithic :monke-return:
When We First Made Tools :todd:
Secrets of the Stone Age (1/2) | DW Documentary :specter-global:
Walking with Beasts "Mammoth Journey"
When We First Talked :wall-talk:
When We Tamed Fire :elmofire:
What can Stone Age art tell us about extinct animals? :no-copyright:
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:walter-breakdown::walter-breakdown::walter-breakdown::walter-breakdown::walter-breakdown::walter-breakdown::walter-breakdown::walter-breakdown:
I got tagged in the megathread, I finally made it :cri:
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Sounds like you got a good one honestly nice work comrade getting the attention and respect you deserve :sankara-salute:
Uh. Oh dear. Were all three letters of the offending word censored?
That is catastrophic enough that whoever is maintaining the software might want to know about it.
I mean it's pretty funny though, especially if it's done in a game or site that uses those same words without issue.
Like if a character is Knight Cassidy or something and it displays as K★★★ght C★★★idy literally anytime someone tries to talk about them, that shit is hilarious.
CW: SH
One week self harm free :meow-bounce: it's not much but today was hard and seeing I made the week is nice.
Very slowly coming to the realization that my communist shitposting online is getting in the way of my communist shitposting irl (organizing)
:kitty-cri-screm: I hate this hexbear is the only social media I like, if I can't shitpost here the only social media I'm left with is the account I use for organizing purposes on shudders Tw*tter
Edit: gonna take a lil break from posting until I get my shit in gear irl but I'll probably pop back every now and then for a crow themed shitpost. O7 everyone
Hopefully we have crow emojis by then
:fidel-salute-big:
Me in gradeschool: "Teacher, can you please can it with the 'fun activities' and just lay some knowledge on us?"
Me in university: "...Oh no"
Me: fuck great man theory, I don't believe in that shit
Also me: what if gorby had died and andropov survived?
Dont watch any movie ever. Moving pictures are inherently reactionary
"chocoholics" be like "i am addicted to the substance known as chocohol"
calling your characters "OCs" as a person in the midst of creating a story: overdone, stale, pedestrian
calling your characters "OCs" when you are a well-established creative: brave, stunning, hilarious
what if George R. R. Martin was like "this is my OC, Daenerys Targaryen", that would be extremely funny
It's funny how in Fight Club the "special snowflake" line is explicitly anti-consumerist, how you should stop believing you can "make it" if you just hustle hard enough and you should stop caring about expensive cars and shit. Now I mostly hear it from guys whose entire personality is hustle mentality and dreaming about being the most advanced consumer with the most expensive car possible.
CHUDs and complete lack of media literacy go together like the strong nuclear force and matter.
Honestly I would argue the term was used in an anti-individualist manner, not an explicitly anti-consumerist one. Your general point stands, that the term is used by people who believe there is no such thing as society, and that that's good.
Maybe, I think the unclear line between anti-consumerism and anti-individualism is a pretty major theme in the story, so I can definitely see both readings
Literally all c*r commercials are about how you'll be this golden child if you just buy this brand of wheels. Now the snowflake term is derogatorily piled onto anyone who even begins to think critically about how they feel and express that.
I fortunately know next to to nothing about Andrew Tate, but I know what car he used to have because that makes you special to the sigma grindset guys. Severe cases of consumer brains who will throw around snowflake at people asking for the basic courtesy of not being misgendered.
Throwing the snowflake insult instantly equals "my personality trait is being an asshole that people don't like to be around".
REJECT MODERNITY (dndbeyond)
RETVRN TO TRADITON (physical character sheet)
TELEPHONES WERE NOT MEANT TO PLAY MAKE BELIEVE
THEY HAVE PLAYED US FOR ABSOLUTE FOOLS
Here I've never left using physical character sheets, digital just didn't have the same feel I was after with a pen and paper game. That and my inherent distrust of all subscription based services and digital licenses.
Of course, I also haven't gotten to play D&D or any tabletop games in a couple years due to covid precautions :sicko-wistful: one day I'll be able to play again
I only ever used digital for rule look ups. I can't keep track of information without having it in front of me and trying to manage thirty tabs of rules and character sheets and monster manual entries on my phone was impossible.
I played at a table where the DM shared it and I didn't spend any money on it, but now I'm deleting my account and embracing Calvin's Dad Thought.
You LIBERALS talk about the "patriarchy" and how "bad" it "is". But have you considered that under the patriarchy, guys rarely get complimented, which means they're quicker to blush when you call them cute?
:live-tucker-reaction: this is what the liberals want to take from you
I saw a fella today and I told him "looking good big man" and he blushed, explain that liberals. :lib-status: