The term for the time period of the Stone Age is known as prehistory. The Stone Age is divided into three distinct phases: the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods, characterized by the development and use of stone tools. This vast era, which began approximately 2.5 million years ago and concluded around 3,000 BCE, marks significant advances in human culture, including the rise of agriculture, art, and the beginnings of settled communities.