After the last Ice Age, the first humans reached the territory of modern Lithuania around the 10th millennium BCE, migrating from the Jutland Peninsula and present-day Poland. They brought distinct tools and cultures, reflecting their origins, but initially remained nomadic hunters without permanent settlements. Warmer conditions arrived in the 8th millennium BCE, transforming the landscape into dense forests, which encouraged more localized hunting, gathering, and fishing.

By the 6th and 5th millennia BCE, the inhabitants began domesticating animals, and family shelters became more developed. However, due to the harsh climate and difficult terrain, agriculture only emerged in the 3rd millennium BCE when tools improved. Around 3200–3100 BCE, the Corded Ware culture, possibly carrying early Indo-European languages, appeared, marking a significant shift towards crafts, trade, and evolving cultural practices in the region.