"Many remains of....stone architecture exhibit forms [that imitate] construction in wood."
John Capotosto, writer
Before the discovery of metallurgy, long before plastics, the materials that Stone Age man used were those that he found around him in nature: stone, mud, bone, and of course wood.
Wood is an extremely important material, having numerous useful properties; it floats, it burns, and it can be shaped relatively easily into a variety of different objects. The craft of shaping and using wood—carpentry—has its roots in prehistoric times.
Early woodwork consisted of the use of wood for basic tools, but there is also archeological evidence that Neanderthals were shaping wood into new forms as long ago as the middle Paleolithic (Old Stone Age, 300,000 to 30,000 years ago), using tools made from flint and stone. In this way many useful things were created from wood, including fire-hardened spears and logs hollowed out to create simple boats.
By the Neolithic (New Stone Age), basic woodworking had evolved into a more complex craft—carpentry The largely nomadic cultures of the Paleolithic era were settling down into more agrarian societies, resulting in an increase in permanent dwellings, and these were often constructed of timber. Researched settlements in Japan and elsewhere include wooden houses of circa 5000 B.C.E.
The word carpentry actually derives from the Latin word carpentrius, which means maker of a carriage or wagon. Even in ancient Rome, however, carpenters were producing not only wagons but a whole array of different wooden products, from weapons (bows, spears, and large rock-throwing machines) to beautifully crafted furniture.
