Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Mesolithic period

(Encyclopedia)Mesolithic period mĕzˌəlĭthˈĭk [key] or Middle Stone Age, period in human development between the end of the Paleolithic period and the beginning of the Neolithic period. It began with the end o...

Neolithic period

(Encyclopedia)Neolithic period or New Stone Age. The term neolithic is used, especially in archaeology and anthropology, to designate a stage of cultural evolution or technological development characterized by the ...

Paleolithic period

(Encyclopedia)Paleolithic period pāˌlēəlĭthˈĭk, –lēō–, pălˌ– [key] or Old Stone Age, the earliest period of human development and the longest phase of mankind's history. It is approximately coexten...

Natufian

(Encyclopedia)Natufian: see Neolithic period; Mesolithic period. ...

Azilian

(Encyclopedia)Azilian: see Mesolithic period.

Maglemosian

(Encyclopedia)Maglemosian: see Mesolithic period. ...

Tardenoisian

(Encyclopedia)Tardenoisian: see Mesolithic period. ...

Stone Age

(Encyclopedia)Stone Age: see Paleolithic period; Mesolithic period; Neolithic period. ...

Devonian period

(Encyclopedia)Devonian period dĭvōˈnēən [key], fourth period of the Paleozoic era of geologic time between 408 and 360 million years ago (see Geologic Timescale, tablegeologic timescale, table). It was named (...

Cretaceous period

(Encyclopedia)Cretaceous period krĭtāˈshəs [key], third and last period of the Mesozoic era of geologic time (see Geologic Timescale, tablegeologic timescale, table), lasting from approximately 144 to 65 millio...