When you think of the Stone Age, you might picture people using rock tools, having thick brows, and hunting woolly mammoths. But did you know that thousands of years ago, there were people who performed surgeries and dental work long before modern medicine existed? Archaeologists have discovered over 1,500 skulls from the Neolithic era in Europe, Asia, and the Americas with holes in them. This suggests that early humans practiced a form of surgery called trepanation, where a hole was drilled or cut into the skull to relieve pressure from injuries. The new bone growth around these holes shows that some patients survived for a long time after the procedure. Interestingly, a cow skull with a similar hole was also found, hinting that early veterinarians might have been practicing on animals.
Some skulls showed signs of brain disease or head injuries, which might explain why these surgeries were performed. In other cases, there was no sign of injury, leading researchers to believe that some procedures were done for ritualistic reasons. Early humans also cared for their teeth more than we might think. In 2017, researchers found two teeth in Italy, dating back 13,000 years, with holes chiseled into them. Diseased tissue was scraped out, likely with a sharp stone, and the teeth were filled with bitumen, a type of tar, as an early attempt at filling cavities.
The Stone Age covers more than 95% of human history, starting at least 2.6 million years ago with the first use of stone tools and ending around 3300 BCE with the beginning of the Bronze Age. We divide the Stone Age into three periods: the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), and Neolithic (New Stone Age).
Despite the time gap, many basic human needs have remained the same, especially our love for tasty food. Stone Age meals were surprisingly similar to what we eat today. In 1991, a 5,300-year-old mummy named Ötzi was found in a European glacier. His stomach contained goat meat that was dry-cured, much like bacon. Late Stone Age cooks also used spices like turmeric, capers, and coriander, which have been found in ancient cooking pots along with charred meat and fish.
In Germany, pots from around 6,000 years ago contained traces of garlic, mustard seeds, and possibly deer meat, showing that early humans enjoyed flavorful meals. Contrary to the paleo diet belief that Stone Age people only ate meat, evidence shows they also consumed grains. Ötzi had einkorn wheat in his stomach, and some cultures baked bread as far back as 14,000 years ago, even before farming began. Archaeologists found charred breadcrumbs and large fireplaces in Jordan, suggesting bread was made for special occasions.
While life in the Stone Age was tough, there were moments of celebration. During the late Neolithic period, areas near Stonehenge hosted large feasts. Archaeologists found tens of thousands of animal bones, mainly from young pigs, indicating these gatherings were part of mid-winter celebrations attended by many people.
Although we often imagine Stone Age people living in caves, they also built homes. Around 4000-3600 BCE, people constructed freestanding houses with fireplaces. A house in North Yorkshire, dating back over 10,000 years, shows that some hunter-gatherers formed lasting communities.
It’s a misconception that only men hunted during the Stone Age. In 2018, archaeologists in Peru found the remains of a female hunter buried with weapons, suggesting women also hunted. Other female skeletons with hunting tools have been found across the Americas, showing that women played significant roles in these societies.
As societies moved towards agriculture, women continued to be vital for survival. A study of prehistoric skeletons revealed that women’s arm bones were stronger than those of modern athletes, indicating they engaged in demanding physical activities.
The image of Neanderthals as hunched, hairy brutes is inaccurate. A 2019 study using computer modeling showed that Neanderthals likely stood upright, similar to modern humans. The question of how hairy they were is still debated, but they might have had a light covering of hair.
While humans didn’t evolve from Neanderthals, many people today have Neanderthal DNA due to interbreeding. If you’re not solely of African ancestry, you likely have about one to four percent Neanderthal DNA, which can affect traits like sunburn susceptibility and mood.
Imagine you are an early human doctor! Create a model of a skull using clay or papier-mâché. Then, simulate the ancient surgical practice of trepanation by carefully making a small hole in the model. Discuss with your classmates why early humans might have performed this procedure and what tools they could have used.
Explore the culinary skills of Stone Age people by preparing a simple dish using ingredients they might have used, such as grains, nuts, and dried fruits. Work in groups to create a recipe and present your dish to the class, explaining how it relates to the foods eaten during the Stone Age.
Using materials like sticks, leaves, and stones, work in teams to construct a model of a Stone Age home. Consider the challenges early humans faced and how they might have used natural resources to create shelters. Present your model and explain the design choices you made.
Choose a role from the Stone Age, such as a hunter, gatherer, or healer, and create a short skit to perform for the class. Include details about daily activities, tools used, and social roles. This will help you understand the diverse roles people played in Stone Age societies.
Research the connection between modern humans and Neanderthals. Create a poster or digital presentation that explains how Neanderthal DNA is present in many people today and what traits it might influence. Share your findings with the class to spark a discussion about human evolution.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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When you think of the Stone Age, your mind is probably filled with images of rock tools, thick brows, and woolly mammoths. What you might not consider are surgeons or dentists performing operations thousands of years before medical textbooks existed. Over the years, archaeologists have found more than 1,500 Neolithic-era skulls in Europe, Asia, and the Americas that have holes in them. Some researchers believe this is evidence of a primitive form of trepanation, a procedure in which a hole is drilled or cut into a person’s skull to relieve pressure after an injury. New bone growth around the edges of the holes suggests that some patients lived for months or years after the procedures. Archaeologists have even found a cow skull with a similar hole, indicating that early veterinarians may have been at work or that the bovine was used for practice.
Scientists observed evidence of brain disease or head injuries in some of the skulls, which might explain why early humans resorted to such procedures. In other cases, there was no previous trauma found, leading many to believe that some of these procedures were performed as rituals. Prehistoric societies may have also attempted to care for their teeth better than previously assumed. In 2017, an international team of researchers reported on two teeth found in Italy, dating back 13,000 years. The incisors had holes chiseled into them and had diseased tissues scraped out, likely with a sharp stone. The teeth were then packed with bitumen, a type of waterproof tar, suggesting an early attempt at filling cavities.
I’m your host, Justin Dodd, and today we’re going back in time to debunk some popular myths about the Stone Age in this prehistoric edition of misconceptions. The Stone Age encompasses more than 95 percent of human history, beginning at least 2.6 million years ago with the earliest evidence of humans using stone tools and lasting until about 3300 BCE with the advent of the Bronze Age and metal tools. To simplify, we break the Stone Age into three distinct periods: the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age), and Neolithic (New Stone Age).
Because of how long ago it was, we tend to think there wasn’t much connecting our modern world to our ancestors. However, as we’ll see, many of our basic needs haven’t changed much, especially regarding our cravings for savory meats and carbohydrates. Stone Age food was surprisingly similar to modern meals. In 1991, a 5,300-year-old mummy discovered in a glacier in Europe, nicknamed Ötzi, had the contents of his stomach examined. Researchers found remains of goat meat that was dry cured, essentially goat bacon. Late Stone Age chefs were also cooking with many spices we use today; fossilized turmeric, capers, and coriander have been found in prehistoric cooking vessels alongside charred meat and fish.
Pots found in Germany from around 6,000 years ago contained traces of garlic, mustard seeds, and possibly deer meat, marking the earliest evidence of spices in food. Archaeologist Hayley Saul emphasized that these meals weren’t just about calories; early humans were enjoying their food and exercising creativity in flavor. You might assume from the paleo diet that people of that time ate only meat and no grains, but that’s another myth.
Research shows that grains were part of the diet; Ötzi had einkorn wheat in his stomach, and evidence suggests some cultures were baking bread as far back as 14,000 years ago, predating agriculture by about 4,000 years. Archaeologists discovered charred breadcrumbs and large circular fireplaces at a dig site in Jordan. Stone Age life was serious and often oppressive, especially regarding bread, which required time and hard-to-find ingredients. Scientists theorize that bread was usually made for feasts and celebrations.
While it’s easy to imagine Stone Age life as a constant struggle for survival, there was room for celebration. During the late Neolithic period, areas surrounding Stonehenge may have hosted massive feasts, with archaeologists uncovering tens of thousands of animal bones, many from young pigs, showing signs of butchery and roasting. It’s believed that a tenth of the population of Britain at the time might have attended these feasts, which were likely part of mid-winter celebrations.
Beer is often thought to have originated in the early Bronze Age, around 5,000 years ago, but a team of scientists led by Lee Liu from Stanford University found traces of prehistoric beer at a Natufian burial site in a cave near Haifa, Israel. This early alcoholic drink was made from wheat and barley stored in stone mortars around 13,000 years ago. While it was weaker and more gruel-like than modern beer, it was still a fermented grain-based alcohol.
Life in the Stone Age often took place in caves, but this doesn’t account for the entire two-plus million-year time span. In the early Neolithic period (around 4000-3600 BCE), people constructed their own freestanding homes with fireplaces. One house discovered in North Yorkshire dates back more than 10,000 years, indicating that some hunter-gatherers may have formed lasting communities and had a strong attachment to their land.
The idea that Stone Age women didn’t participate in hunting is also a misconception. In 2018, archaeologists in Peru found the skeletal remains of what was initially thought to be a male hunter buried with weapons, only to discover it was a young woman, suggesting that women were involved in hunting in various Stone Age societies. Other skeletons of women buried with hunting tools have been found across the Americas, indicating that the notion of men as the only hunters is an oversimplification.
Even as societies shifted toward agriculture during the Neolithic era, women played integral roles in community survival. A study of skeletons from a prehistoric agricultural society found that women’s arm bones were significantly stronger than those of modern athletes, indicating they engaged in rigorous physical activity.
The common image of Neanderthals as hunched, hairy brutes is also misleading. A 2019 study used computer modeling to analyze a Neanderthal skeleton and found that it likely stood upright, similar to modern humans. The question of how hairy Neanderthals were remains open, with some studies suggesting they had a sparse covering of hair, possibly similar to a light layer of clothing.
While humans did not evolve from Neanderthals, many of us carry Neanderthal DNA due to interbreeding. Unless you’re solely of African ancestry, you likely have about one to four percent Neanderthal DNA, which can influence various traits, including susceptibility to sunburn and depression.
If you have an idea for a future episode of misconceptions, feel free to leave it in the comments. Thanks for watching!
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This version maintains the original content while removing any informal language or potentially inappropriate phrases.
Stone Age – A prehistoric period when humans used stone tools and weapons before the development of metal tools. – During the Stone Age, early humans relied on stone tools for hunting and gathering food.
Archaeology – The study of human history and prehistory through the excavation and analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. – Archaeology helps us understand how ancient civilizations lived and interacted with their environment.
Surgery – A medical procedure involving the manual and instrumental treatment of injuries or disorders. – Ancient civilizations, like the Egyptians, practiced early forms of surgery to treat injuries and illnesses.
Neolithic – The later part of the Stone Age, when humans began to develop agriculture and settle in permanent villages. – The Neolithic period marked a significant change in human history as people started farming and building communities.
Humans – Members of the species Homo sapiens, characterized by their ability to think, communicate, and create complex societies. – Humans have adapted to various environments throughout history, from the ice ages to modern cities.
Cuisine – A style or method of cooking, especially as characteristic of a particular country, region, or historical period. – The cuisine of ancient Rome included a variety of foods, such as bread, olives, and wine.
Celebrations – Festive activities or events held to honor a particular occasion or achievement. – Ancient Egyptians held celebrations to honor their gods and mark the changing of seasons.
Neanderthals – An extinct species of humans who lived in Europe and parts of Asia during the Ice Age. – Neanderthals were skilled hunters and used tools made from stone and bone.
Agriculture – The practice of cultivating the soil, growing crops, and raising animals for food and other products. – The development of agriculture allowed early humans to settle in one place and build civilizations.
Tools – Instruments or devices used to perform a task or function, often made by humans to aid in work. – Early humans created tools from stone and wood to help them hunt and build shelters.
