Concept in Definition ABC

The Mesolithic, also known as the Stone Age, is considered a transitional period between the paleolithic and the neolithic. Thus, during this intermediate stage, human groups were still hunters and gatherers as in the Paleolithic period, but little by little they were incorporating strategies to optimize the natural resources at his disposal.

Peculiarities of humans in the Mesolithic

Anthropologists consider that Mesolithic man can already be fully considered as a homo sapiens.

The most unique human trait of the Mesolithic is the incorporation of primary cultural mechanisms between social groups.

In anthropological terms, Mesolithic communities are considered complex hunter-gatherer societies. This situation resulted in several circumstances:

1) a tendency towards sedentary lifestyle, as it must be remembered that nomadism typical of the Palaeolithic was extremely hard on individuals and was associated with uncertainty permanent,

2) This trend caused Mesolithic man to settle near places where he could stock up on game, even temporarily and

3) the situation of semi-nomadism was accompanied by a demographic increase and a competence among human groups to get hold of the resources natural,

4) the previous transformations in turn caused a diversification of the diet (the Big game, small game and other food alternatives such as river fishing and gathering of mollusks) and

5) in the Mesolithic the first forms of burials appear, the necropolis (this fact has a unique cultural significance, since which implies that the human being had an idea of ​​transcendence and at the same time gave death a meaning full of symbolism).

The Mesolithic was a necessary stage to reach the Neolithic

In the Neolithic the human being reached a sedentary lifestyle thanks to the invention of agriculture and livestock. However, this did not happen suddenly and miraculously but was a slow and gradual process. Anthropologists consider that the Mesolithic was the necessary stage of the evolution human to consolidate the Neolithic revolution.

The circumstances indicated above led Mesolithic man to significant mental changes, especially the need to establish himself in a territory and begin to build a model of life based on cooperation and specialization of work.

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