The Karamajong showed characteristics of both Neolithic and Paleolithic humans. This included their habitat, specific gender roles, social structure, social relationships, and food sources. It is possible that they were in a transitional state from Paleolithic to Neolithic.
Neolithic humans were semi-nomadic, they moved to where there was food available. This was not completely true with the Karamajong. They lived in permanent dwellings called huts. They would search and hunt for their food and then bring it home to eat. In terms of habitat, the Karamajong were more or less Neolithic.
Specific gender roles were also established within the Karamajong, which represents the lifestyle of Neolithic humans. Women were responsible for many tasks including taking care of their children, having their own garden, building huts, making gourds, and providing plants and insects as food. Men were hunters in the tribe. They searched and killed cattle for food. Men would have to go through training and initiation to be accepted as a full warrior and hunter before they could venture out. This would take place when the male turned eighteen.
Social relationships within the Karamajong were very strong. The children were often given pets such as dogs or goats. They also had no responsibilities in the tribe until they were six years old. The mothers carried their babies on their backs and also breastfed them. Having a good marriage was also important. Marriage took place over a series of events which took years. The men had too get their wives a herd of cattle, usually consisting of thirty to forty cows. Such strong relationships suggest a Neolithic lifestyle.
When it came down to the necessities such as food, the Karamajong were developed Neolithically. They were no longer nomadic. The women had their own garden where they could produce plants to eat if the growing season was decent. They also had a herd of cattle near their huts, which they would use for milk, blood, meat, and reproduction.
