Neolithic

[ nee-uh-lith-ik ]

adjective

1. (sometimes lowercase) Anthropology. of, relating to, or characteristic of the last phase of the Stone Age, marked by the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture, and the manufacture of pottery and textiles: commonly thought to have begun c9000–8000 b.c. in the Middle East. Compare Mesolithic, Paleolithic.
2. (usually lowercase) belonging to or remaining from an earlier era; outdated; passé.

Neolithic

/ ˌniːəʊˈlɪθɪk /

noun

1. the cultural period that lasted in SW Asia from about 9000 to 6000 bc and in Europe from about 4000 to 2400 bc and was characterized by primitive crop growing and stock rearing and the use of polished stone and flint tools and weapons

adjective

1. relating to this period

Neolithic

/ nē′ə-lĭth′ĭk /

1. The period of human culture that began around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and later in other parts of the world. It is characterized by the beginning of farming, the domestication of animals, the development of crafts such as pottery and weaving, and the making of polished stone tools. The Neolithic Period is generally considered to end for any particular region with the introduction of metalworking, writing, or other developments of urban civilization.
2. Also called New Stone Age
3. Compare Mesolithic

Other Words From

• prene·o·lithic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Neolithic¹

First recorded in 1860–65; neo- + -lithic

Example Sentences

The Neolithic people must have been pretty well connected, far more connected than people give them credit for.

From BBC

But this is exactly what's happening at the Ness of Brodgar, one of the most important Neolithic sites in the British Isles.

From BBC

The findings suggest Neolithic Britain was a far more connected and advanced society than earlier evidence indicated.

From BBC

Geigl’s team sequenced all the individuals’ whole genomes and found that all the women in the grave had exclusively Neolithic ancestry.

From Science Magazine

Neolithic tools, Bronze Age barrows, an Iron Age settlement, a Roman villa and Saxon hamlet have all been discovered at Stanwick Lakes, making it one of the largest archaeological sites ever excavated in the UK.

From BBC