Paleolit (az paleo… va yun. lithos —sang), davrai qadimi asri sang. Odatan, Paleolitro ba se davrai asosi: Paleoliti poyon, miyona va bolo taqsim mekunand. Qarorgohhoi in davra asosan du khel — kushod va magoraviand.
Paleoliti poyon 2 mln sol qabl az in ogoz yofta, pas az 100 hazor sol ba okhir rasidaast. Dar in davra qadimtarin odamoni maymunshakl (pitekantrop, sinantrop, neandertali va gayra) ba vujud omadaand. Darajai avvali Paleolitii poyon shell, duyumash ashel nom dorad. Oloti davrai toshelliyu olduvai dagal va soddayu nomukammal buda, beshtar qayroqsangist. Taqriban 1 mln sol muqaddam olati universali-iskanasang khele mamul gasht. Qadimtarin oloti paleolitii (chopperu choppingho) Osiyoi Miyona dar janubi Tojikiston (Qaratog-1, Lohuti-1, Khonaqoh 1-3) ba dast omadaast, ki 280—130 hazor sol to melod sokhta shudaast.
Davrai guzarish az Paleoliti poyon ba Paleoliti miyona 100—40 hazor sol to melod ba vuqu payvast. Dar Paleoliti miyona shikor ravnaq yofta, odamon rohhoi gunoguni hosil namudani otashro kashf namudand. Aknun onho magorahoro tark karda, dar joyhoi kushod maskan megiriftand va guruh-guruh zindagi mekardand. Sokhti qabilavi va nishonahoi taqsimi mehnat bayni zanu mard, dar okhiri hamin davra boshad, marosimi dafn paydo shud. Bori nakhust nishonahoi madaniyati mutaalliqi in davra az Le-Musge nom magorai Fransiya ba dast omadaast.
Az in jost, ki in davraro muste niz menomand. Dar Osiyoi Miyona magorahoi Teshiktosh, Amonqutai, Obirahmat (Uzbekiston), Ogzikichik (Tojikiston), qarorgohhoi Jarqutai, Khuji (Tojikiston), Qulbuloq, Quturbuloq (Uzbekiston), Salomatbuloq (Qirgiziston) va gayra kashf gardidand. Dar davrai muste oloti mehnat (taroshkord, kord, darafsh va gayra) hajman khurd va nafistar gardid.
Paleoliti bolo az hazorai 35 to hazorai 10 davom kardaast. Dar in davra iqlimi qismi ziyodi satkhi zamin, az jumla Osiyoi Miyona va Qazoqiston, khushk va kontinentii shadid gardid. Hayvonoti ba iqlimi khunuk mutobiqgashta (karkadanhoi sermuy, asphoi yoboi va gayra) paydo shudand. Paleolitii bolo darajai olii asri sang buda, oloti behtarin mahz dar hamin davra ba vujud omad.
Dar SSSR qarorgohhoi Paleoliti bolo dar YOqutiston, Sharqi Dur, sohili Baykal, Kostenko (nazdikii Voronej) va g. kashf shudaand. Dar Osiyoi Miyona qarorgohhoi nazdikii Kuli komsomoli Samarqand va Shugnov (vodii Yakhsu) ba Paleoliti bolo mansuband. Asbobhoi ruzgori yoftshudai in davra (suzan, shast, darafsh, parma, paykon, nayza va gayra) az ustukhon va shokhi hayvonot sokhta shudaand.
Ba tufayli mehnat odami Paleolit az jihati fiziologi niz tagyir yoft.
Joi paleoantrophoro neoantropho giriftand. Najodi tiphoi gunoguni antropologi ba vujud omada, minbad ba se najodi hozira (evropoisurat, zangi va mugulsurat) judo shudand. Dar natijahoi jamoahoi ibtidoiro modarshohi girift. Vazifai mardho az shikor, istehsoli oloti mehnat va gayra iborat shud. Paleolit muhimtarin davrai tarikhi insoniyat buda, omuzishi hama tarafai on bisyor masalahoi jamiyati tosinfiro hal menamoyad.
Ad.: R a n o v.V. A., Kamenniy vek Tadjikistana, D., 1985; O k l a d.n i k o o A. p., Srednim Azii p chetvertichniy period, dar kit. Srednyaya Azin v epokhu kamnya i bronzi. M.—L., 1986; Boriskovskip P I., Drevneyshee proshloe chelovechestva, L., 1970; Dolikhan o v P. M., Geografiya kamennogo veka, M., 1079.