Mesolithic Period

The period between Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, characterised by the presence of material culture, including pottery and cave art, and marked by a transition from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles. The time period varies according to region; in Southwest Asia, the period lasted from roughly fifteen thousand to eight thousand years ago. The word “mesolithic” derives from the Greek meso (middle) and lithos (stone), meaning “middle stone age.”