Information on Stone Age Tools for Kids

A large proportion of the diet the Stone Age people ate was comprised of meats they hunted or caught. For this purpose, they had a wide array of tools, including projectile points they attached to spears or arrow shafts. They also used spears for fishing in rivers and oceans. Aside from the spears, that had hooks fashioned from stone or bone that they could use for line fishing, as well as cast nets.

Although a great deal of food was obtained by hunting, research has shown that an even larger proportion of the diet came from gathering. Roots, nuts, berries, leaf plants and mushrooms were all a part of the Stone Age diet, and had to be processed for consumption. One of the most important tools for this purpose was a primitive mortar and pestle used to grind nuts and other items.

Because people of the Stone Age often inhabited harsh environments, clothing was a necessity. Depending on the climate, they needed more or less clothing, but those clothes had to be made. Since cloth was non-existent, these garments were made from the hides of animals that had been killed. Scrappers were then used to clean the hides and then the materials were left to dry. They used needles made from bone and stone and thread made from sinew to make their clothing.

The process to create the stone tools for which the Stone Age was named is called "flint knapping." There are still many people around the world who practice this ancient art. The process involves knocking two pieces of stone together to break off pieces. The smaller pieces are further reduced and refined in this way to make items like projectile points and scrapers.