'''Mesolithic''' (Greek: μέσος/middle and λίθος/stone) is the period of transition between the [[palaeolithic]] and [[neolithic]], especially in [[Europe]], where it falls between the end of the last [[glacial period]] (mid-9th millennium BC) and the beginnings of [[agriculture]] (i.e. neolithic). The Mesolithic period is characterized by the use of monoliths and the first instance of [[domestication of animals|domesticated animals]]. | '''Mesolithic''' (Greek: μέσος/middle and λίθος/stone) is the period of transition between the [[palaeolithic]] and [[neolithic]], especially in [[Europe]], where it falls between the end of the last [[glacial period]] (mid-9th millennium BC) and the beginnings of [[agriculture]] (i.e. neolithic). The Mesolithic period is characterized by the use of monoliths and the first instance of [[domestication of animals|domesticated animals]]. |