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The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic – lit. old stone – period is the oldest part of the stone age, dating from the first use of stone tools by

• Lower Paleolithic ( Oldowan, Clactonian, Abbevillian, Acheulean)
• Middle Paleolithic, the time of the hand axeA hand axe is a bifacial Paleolithic core tool. This kind of axe is typical of the lower ( Acheulean) and the middle Palaeolithic ( Mousterian) and is the longest used tool of human history. Distribution Handaxes are only found in Europe and Northern Asia-industries ( MousterianMousterian is a name given by archaeologists to style of flint tools (or industry) dating to the Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age. It is named after the type site of Le Moustier, a rock shelter in the Dordogne region of France. Similar flintwork has been fou)
• Upper Paleolithic ( ChâtelperronianChatelperronian was the earliest industry of the Upper Palaeolithic in central and south western France. It appears to have been derived from the earlier, Neandertal, Mousterian industry as it made use of Levallois cores and represents the period when Nea, AurignacianAurignacian is the name of a culture of the Upper Palaeolithic present in Europe and south west Asia. It dates to between 34,000 and 23,000 BP. The name originates from the typesite of Aurignac in the Haute Garonne area of France Worked bone points with g, Solutrean, Gravettian, Magdalenian)
• Epipaleolithic ( Hamburgian , Federmesser)

The Paleolithic is followed by the Mesolithic period in most of Europe. In regions such as the Middle East and Anatolia with a very early neolithisation, the Epipaleolithic is followed by the aceramic Neolithic ( Pre-Pottery Neolithic A and Pre-Pottery Neolithic B) and the pottery Neolithic.

See also

• List of notable Paleolithic sites
• 10th millennium BC