Paleolithic religion

Paleolithic religion refers to a system of spiritual and supernatural beliefs developed by humans and their ancestors during the Paleolithic era, a period extending from about 2.6 million to 10,000 years ago. Because the entire span of the Paleolithic era occurred before recorded history, it is difficult to determine the religious intent behind early human behavior. The first evidence that human ancestors buried their dead dates back about 300,000 years, but it was many thousands of years later that ritualistic burials suggested a belief in an afterlife. More definitive evidence of religious thought can be found in the cave paintings and artifacts from the later Paleolithic period, which began about 45,000 years ago.

Background

The Paleolithic era is generally considered to begin about 2.5 million years ago when ancestors of modern humans are believed to have developed the first stone tools. The term Paleolithic means "Old Stone Age" from the Greek paleo, "old," and lithos, "stone." Because of its length, the Paleolithic period is divided into three stages. The Lower Paleolithic extended from about 2.6 million to 300,000 years ago, the Middle Paleolithic ended about 45,000 years ago, and the Upper Paleolithic closed out with the end of the last ice age and the discovery of agriculture about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.

During the Paleolithic period, human ancestors were primarily nomadic hunter-gatherers who developed the first forms of language, religion, art, and culture. As the human brain evolved and increased in size and function, it became capable of processing more information about the world. The patterned behavior of the earliest human ancestors began to be transformed by language and socialization into something resembling symbolic ritualistic thought. Some researchers believe religion grew out of a newly developed ability to project rational thoughts and actions onto non-living objects. A thunderstorm, for example, could have been seen as intentionally sending lightning to strike the ground. Others believe religion began as a social mechanism, bonding early groups together and giving those human ancestors a better chance at survival.

Overview

Archeologists have found evidence that the Neanderthals, a relative of modern humans, began to bury their dead as far back as 300,000 years ago. Several ancient mass burial sites from the era have been discovered across Europe and the Middle East, but these are not necessarily proof of a religious worldview. The Neanderthals may simply have been disposing of their dead for more practical reasons. About 130,000 years ago, humans began burying the dead in individual graves and incorporating elaborate burial rituals. Bodies were sometimes laid in a sleeping position and buried with various objects. Because most early humans were hunters, many of the objects included with the bodies were stone tools and animal bones. Archaeologists believe this indicated the deceased was being prepared for a journey into an afterlife.

During the Upper Paleolithic period, more symbolic elements such as shell beads, flowers, and food and water were sometimes entombed with the corpse. In some cases, red ochre pigment was applied to the bodies before burial. Researchers theorize it may have represented the color of blood and symbolized life and the spirit. Further ritualistic practices known as secondary burials also developed during the Upper Paleolithic. Bodies were sometimes burned or the flesh removed before they were finally buried. Pits of animal bones were also sometimes found near burial sites, possibly signifying a sacrificial custom to honor the dead. While the exact meaning behind these practices is unknown, some archeologists believe they may have been a form of ancestor worship or part of a fertility ritual.

Researchers also see religious significance in the carved images of women known as Venus figurines that date from the Upper Paleolithic. The figurines are often portrayed as pregnant or with exaggerated sexual features, suggesting they were used as fertility symbols or religious icons. Two suspected Venus figurines may date back to the Middle Paleolithic, but archeologists are unsure if they were made by humans or are natural objects. The oldest known Venus figurine is the Venus of Hohle Fels, which was carved from a mammoth tusk about 35,000 years ago. Other figurines were made from stone, bone, wood, or clay.

Archaeological evidence suggests that human ancestors as far back as the Middle Paleolithic began to recognize the human form in rocks, trees, and other natural objects. This indicates a religious concept known as animism, the belief that everything in the natural world has a soul. Some of the best evidence that Paleolithic humans embraced a form of religious thought can be seen in the cave art that began to develop about 30,000 to 40,000 years ago. Paintings made of natural pigments at many sites show a fascination with animals, a fact that is not surprising considering hunting was such a large part of Paleolithic existence. Human figures are mostly absent in early cave art; when they do appear, they are usually portrayed with animalistic traits or as half-human, half-animal. The remains of bears found in Neanderthal caves may also indicate Neanderthals took part in a form of bear worship.

While the true purpose of Paleolithic cave art is unknown, many archaeologists believe it had a symbolic or religious purpose. The images indicate an animistic belief that animals are spirit-beings and are interconnected with humans on a mystical level. This may have led to a belief in an animal deity or guardian spirit that was responsible for a successful hunt. Some researchers theorize that the religious concept of shamanism developed from this early animistic thought. Shamanism also holds that spirits inhabit the animals and objects of the natural world but can only communicate with a human intermediary known as a shaman. One explanation for the human-animal figures in Paleolithic cave art may be that they represent a shaman performing a religious ritual while dressed in animal skins.

Bibliography

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