The pre-Columbian archaeological record in the Americas is conventionally divided into five phases according to an enduring system established in Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips's 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology.

This differs from old world prehistory where the terms Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Age are generally used.The Lithic Stage is defined by the ostensible prevalence of big-game hunting.

In most places, this can be dated to before 8000 BCE.

Examples include the Clovis culture and Folsom tradition groups.

The stage, which derives its name from the first appearance of flaked stone tools, is conceived of as embracing two major categories of stone technology: (1) unspecialized and largely unformulated core and flake industries, with percussion the dominant and perhaps only technique employed, and (2) industries exhibiting more advanced "blade" techniques of stoneworking, with specialized fluted or unfluted lanceolate points the most characteristic artifact types.

Throughout South America, there are stone tool traditions of the lithic stage, such as the "fluted fishtail" that reflect localized adaptations to the diverse habitats of the continent.

During the lithic stage people live in small, mobile groups that survive on hunting, fishing, and plant gathering.

The intensive and continual use of wild plants and animals eventually leads to genetic changes to some of the species and ultimately to domestication by human groups.

This lifestyle continues until around 5000 BCE when people start to use domesticated plants and animals.The time encompasses the Paleo-Indian period, which is divided into more specific time terms such as Early Lithic stage or Early Paleo-Indians and Middle Paleo-Indians or Middle Lithic stage.

Examples include the Clovis culture and Folsom tradition groups.

The Lithic stage is followed by the Archaic stage.