STONE AGE – when humans became...

**Monday, August 3, through Sunday, August 9, 2026** The “Stone Age,” the oldest and, at over 2.5 million years, the longest era in human history, is sometimes dismissed as the supposedly “most primitive” cultural stage of modern humans. Stone tools, for instance, are dismissed as “simple” and “crude,” while the image of Stone Age men and women is dominated by that of ape-like cave dwellers wrapped in animal skins. In fact, archaeological research allows us to revise this antiquated and thoroughly false image of our great-great-great-great-grandparents! Neither is the crafting of a flint arrowhead a trivial or even simple undertaking, nor did the first humans huddle in the cold in musty caves: they were explorers and revolutionaries who braved the harshest environmental conditions, settled the entire planet, and, with the onset of the Neolithic era, learned agriculture and animal husbandry. Clothing was woven and sewn, tools and weapons were made from wood, bone, and antler, people tattooed themselves, brewed beer, and knew about the healing properties of numerous plants. Archaeologist Jean-Loup Ringot shows you the Stone Age as you’ve never seen it before! Tip: At Mr. Ringot’s booth, you can experience the Stone Age in all its facets up close.