* No written records: The Stone Age predates writing systems, so there are no written records of their language.
* Oral traditions: Languages evolve constantly. Even if we had recordings of Stone Age speech, it would be difficult to understand its relationship to modern languages due to the vast amount of time that has passed.
* Multiple groups: The Stone Age spanned thousands of years and covered vast geographical areas. Many different groups of people lived during this time, each with its own language.
What we can know:
* Language is essential: Humans are inherently social creatures, and language is necessary for communication and cooperation. It's safe to assume that Stone Age people had languages, just like modern humans.
* Linguistic evolution: Languages change and evolve over time. Modern languages are the descendants of much older languages spoken in the past.
* Archaeological clues: Archaeologists can sometimes glean information about language through studying ancient artifacts, art, and cultural practices.
The takeaway: While we can't know exactly what Stone Age people spoke, we can be confident that they had languages, and these languages likely contributed to the development of modern languages.