The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age (Greek: mesos "middle", lithos stone) is a period in the development of human technology, between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age.
The Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) was a transitional period in which early humans, namely Homo sapiens, shifted from a nomadic lifestyle to a semi-sedentary one, living in caves or on the coast (abris sous roche), and developed more advanced stone tool technology such as hand axes, spearheads, and bone tools (bone culture), as well as leaving cave paintings and shell piles (kjokkenmoddinger) as cultural relics, marking the beginning of the ability to produce food and live a simple, settled life.
The Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age) according to experts, including Dr. P.V. van Stein Callenfels, is a transitional period between the Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age) and the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) which is marked by changes in stone technology from coarse to finer, smaller, and more functional (microliths).
The following are characteristics of Mesolithic technology according to experts and archaeological findings:
Microliths (Small Stone Tools):
Stone technology was refined, producing smaller, sharper, and more refined tools than in previous eras.
Pebble Culture (Sumatran Hand Axes/Sumatranlith):
Discovered by experts on the coast of Sumatra, these hand axes had smoothed surfaces.
Bone Culture (Bone Tools):
Tools were made from animal bones, often found alongside microliths.
Flakes Culture (Flakes):
Flake tools used as arrowheads, knives, or planers. Short Axes (Hachecourt): Dr. P.V. van Stein Callenfels identified short, semicircular axes used by humans during this period (modern).
Stone Pipisan:
A stone food grinding tool that demonstrates further food processing techniques.
In summary, Mesolithic technology reflects human adaptation to the post-glacial environment with a semi-sedentary lifestyle and more advanced food gathering patterns.