One hundred thousand years ago mankind entered a new stage of development . At this time the climate of the Northern Hemisphere changed drastically . Glaciers from the north began moving southward . The greater part of Europe was covered by ice . In the warmer countries the rains began . The present - day Sahara Desert was once an area covered with lakes , rivers and grassy plains interspersed with dense trop ical forests . All heat - loving plants and animals either died out or migrated to the tropics . These animals were supplanted by new types , such as the mammoth , the reindeer , the polar fox , etc. But primitive man survived and continued to develop through his ability to work . The remains of Neanderthal Man , who lived during this time , were found in Europe ( Germany , Spain , Belgium , Yugoslavia , France and Italy ) , Asia ( Pakis tan , Iraq , Java and other regions ) , South Africa and the So viet Union ( in the Crimea and Central Asia ) . The progress of society was determined by the further devel opment of the productive forces . Man's tools became still more diverse and specialised . As before , his basic tools were made of stone , but they were being constantly perfected . The cutting edges were specially sharpened ; there were now flint daggers , arrowheads , scrapers for working hides , etc. The perfection of these tools brought about the development of new skills and increased productive experience . The use of more perfect tools spurred the development of hunting , which now became primitive man's major occupa tion . Hunting was done in groups , hunting parties were organised to trap large animals , to force them into swamps , etc. Now man remained for a longer period of time on good hunting grounds where he sought shelter not only in the nat ural caves he found , but in the simplest structures he himself constructed to protect himself from the elements .
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