 Paleolithic kana Paleolithic kubva muchiGiriki: παλαιός, palaios, yakare; uye λίθος, lithos, dombo lit. dombo rekare, rakagadzirwa nemucheri wezvekare John Lubbock uye rakabudiswa muna 1865 ndiro chikamu chekutanga cheNguva yeDombo. Inofukidza chikamu chikuru chenguva yevanhu inenge 99 ye nhoroondo yehunyanzvi hwevanhu, uko munhu uye hunhu zvinotsanangurwa kureva genus Homo, ichitambanuka kubva pamamirioni 2.5 kana 2.6 emakore apfuura, nekutanga kunyorwa kushandiswa kwemidziyo yematombo ne hominans senge Homo habilis, kusvika kumagumo ePleistocene kutenderera 10,000 BCE. Nguva yePaleolithic yakapera neMesolithic, kana munzvimbo dzine neolithisation yekutanga, yeEpipaleolithic. 