In neolithic times, implements were made of stone, the best known of which are the polished stone heads of axes and adzes. The era of hunter gatherers was in decline and about 6000 years ago became replaced by the move to a more settled way of life based on farming and herding. Polishing not only increased the final strength of the tool but also meant that the head could penetrate wood more easily This period has been called the ???olished-stone Epoch?? In the foreground is a stone polishing block discovered by used in polishing axes by rubbing back and forth a rough-hewn stone gradually producing a smooth surface and a sharpened edge.