Classical Studies 2700A/B Lecture 4: Classics 2700B Lecture 4
27 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
The bow and arrow: no firm evidence prior to c. 10,000 bc, though may be much earlier, since upper paleolithic techniques well suited to production of flint arrowheads. Used for hunting, don"t have to be really close to prey. Moving on towards neolithic (new stone) age: often subdivided into a transitional phase (mesolithic-middle stone) before neolithic proper . Mesolithic in e. mediterranean/ middle east area starts as early as 14,000 bc; normally ends with introduction of food production (cultivation of crops and domestication of animals) between 9,000 and 8,000 bc in near east, but in w. Europe mesolithic begins c. 7,500 bc and neolithic c. 4,000 bc; so this a v. flexible term. In stone technology main innovation is introduction of grinding and polishing ; really simpler than flint-knapping, but slow and laborious; hard stones were worked and heavy durable items produced. Same techniques used to produce axe-heads, sometimes in imitation of metal objects.
