Mesolithic
/ˌmɛz.əˈlɪθ.ɪk/noun
Relating to the Middle Stone Age, the archaeological period between the Paleolithic and Neolithic.
Did you know?Mesolithic is a modern scholarly coinage from Greek roots, and its name literally means “middle stone,” a reminder that even prehistory gets divided by language before it gets divided by tools.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mesos
“middle”
Ancient Greek
Greek
lithos
“stone”
19th Century
English
Mesolithic
“a proposed archaeological term for the middle stone age”
Modern English
English
mesolithic
“of or relating to the Middle Stone Age”
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