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Paleolithic vs. Neolithic

Paleolithic vs. Neolithic: What's the difference?

In anthropology, Paleolithic and Neolithic both describe phases of the Stone Age. The Paleolithic period, 2,000,000–10,000 BCE, was characterized by the development of stone tools and art, bone artifacts, and cave paintings. The Neolithic period, 9,000–4,500 BCE, was characterized by the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture, and the manufacture of pottery and textiles.

Paleolithic

[ pey-lee-uh-lith-ik or, especially British, pal-ee- ]
adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the cultures of the late Pliocene and the Pleistocene epochs, or early phase of the Stone Age, which appeared first in Africa and are marked by the steady development of stone tools and later antler and bone artifacts, engravings on bone and stone, sculpted figures, and paintings and engravings on the walls of caves and rock-shelters: usually divided into three periods (Lower Paleolithic, c2,000,000–c200,000 b.c., Middle Paleolithic, c150,000–c40,000 b.c., Upper Paleolithic, c40,000–c10,000 b.c.).

Neolithic

[ nee-uh-lith-ik ]
adjective
  1. 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.
  2. belonging to or remaining from an earlier era; outdated; passé.