It refers to the final period of hunter-gatherer cultures in Europe and Western Asia, between the end of the Last Glacial Maximum and the Neolithic Revolution. In Europe it spans roughly 15,000 to 5,000 BP; in Southwest Asia (the Epipalaeolithic Near East) roughly 20,000 to 8,000 BP.

Where did Mesolithic people settle?

In county Offaly, archaeologists uncovered evidence of a Mesolithic settlement at Lough Boora. Evidence suggests that Ireland was initially populated from Scotland, although there must surely have been some migration from Wales and south-west England.

What are Mesolithic settlements?

The Primeval Settlement|The Early Middle Ages (Slavic) settlement. The Mesolithic Period - characteristic of a transitional period of the Stone Age intermediate between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic periods (approximately 8300 - 5500 BC) - is typical for the hunting and collecting way of living.