Stone Age Basics
What does prehistoric mean?
The time before written history.
What is cave art?
Art created on/in caves by prehistoric people.
In what country is Lascaux Cave located?
France.
What major change happened during the Neolithic Period?
People began farming.
In what country is Skara Brae located?
Scotland.
What is the Paleolithic Period also called?
The Old Stone Age.
Name one reason prehistoric people created cave art.
To communicate ideas, tell stories, or share information before writing existed.
Approximately how old are the paintings in Lascaux Cave?
Approximately 17,000 years old.
What did Neolithic people begin growing?
Crops.
In what country is Stonehenge located?
England.
What is the Neolithic Period also called?
The New Stone Age.
What two types of materials were commonly used to create cave paintings?
Charcoal and natural pigments.
What is the Hall of Bulls?
The largest painted chamber inside Lascaux Cave, famous for large animal paintings, especially bulls.
How did farming change where people lived?
People began developing permanent settlements and living in communities.
What is Skara Brae, and why is it important?
A permanent Neolithic settlement in Scotland.
What is a hunter/gatherer, and what did they do to get food?
A person/group that hunts animals and gathers plants/food rather than farming.
Name three animals commonly shown in prehistoric cave art.
Bulls, horses, and deer.
What did fertility statues most likely represent? Name at least two ideas.
Motherhood, new life, fertility, and survival.
Give two differences between Paleolithic and Neolithic people.
Examples: Paleolithic = hunter/gatherers and nomadic; Neolithic = farmers and permanent settlements.
What was Stonehenge possibly used for? Give both possibilities from the study guide.
Religious ceremonies and astronomy.
What does nomadic mean? Explain how being nomadic affected the way Paleolithic people lived.
Moving from place to place rather than living permanently in one location.
Why was prehistoric cave art more than just decoration? Explain how it helped early humans.
It helped people communicate ideas, tell stories, and share information before written language existed.
A student says, “Lascaux is important because it shows us what prehistoric people believed and how they communicated.” Explain why this statement is correct.
Lascaux provides evidence of early human art and communication and gives historians clues about prehistoric life and beliefs.
Compare Paleolithic and Neolithic life. Include food, housing/settlements, and lifestyle in your answer.
Paleolithic people hunted/gathered, moved from place to place, and were nomadic. Neolithic people farmed, settled into permanent villages, and developed communities.
Match all three sites with their locations: Lascaux Cave, Skara Brae, and Stonehenge. Then explain what each site tells us about prehistoric people.
Lascaux Cave → France: Cave art and communication
Skara Brae → Scotland: Permanent Neolithic settlement/community life
Stonehenge → England: Possible religious and astronomical purposes