2.2: Early Indicators of the Absolute, the Ultimate, the Holy

The story of religion is as old as humanity itself. Exactly when it started, we do not know, but it appears to be an element of life and culture before humans assumed the dominant role on Earth that we now have. For example, archeologists have found evidence of some manner of religion even in the prehistoric proto–humans, such as Homo erectus, in the Old Stone Age, which lasted from about 500,000 to 10,000 years ago. In caves near Beijing, China, a collection of human skulls was found with indications that the content had been removed.

Did these early humans cut off the heads of their enemies as trophies? And did they eat the contents in order to obtain the vitality of the person? Or was the human brain simply a delicious meal? We do not know. Regardless, these actions raise questions. Similarly, all across Europe we can find evidence of ceremonial burial practices by Neanderthal people, Homo neanderthalensis, (100,000 – 75,000 years ago). Groups of Neanderthals buried their dead with gifts, such as shells and weapons, that clearly had value to the living. Why would someone bury a needed daily item with the deceased? While we can debate the answers, it is clear the actions of these hominids indicate they had a complex understanding of life and buried their dead with implements presumably to serve the deceased in the afterlife.

Of interest, while Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis are not humans (Homo sapiens), they arguably had an understanding of and a belief in the afterlife.

Scientists agree modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) have our origins in Africa, and from there spread to the rest of the world. Like the previous examples, researchers have found many remains of early humans, such as those of a child who was buried around 100,000 years ago at a place called Border Cave in northern Kwazulu–Natal, in Africa. A perforated shell was placed in the grave with the child. Did this mean that those long–ago people believed in some sort of life after death? Was the child given a favorite toy to play with in the afterlife? We will probably never know for sure. Regardless, it is clear that these early humans cared for their dead in very human ways. Just as the earlier hominids took care to bury their dead, so too did the first humans show a concern for the dead, and scholars believe this indicates that even today all religions will have certain features common to all humankind because we are all part of one biological species.

For most of human history people used to live in small groups and hunted small animals, scavenged, and collected eggs and insects for food wherever they could find it. They were travelers and lived their entire lives outside. As such, they developed an understanding and appreciation of the physical world and the landscape that we today simply do not have. The word numinous is used to describe this understanding and appreciation. If something is numinous, it evokes a religious or spiritual quality. These parts of the world, such as the Grand Canyon or a mountain range, make us feel small and insignificant. They are beautiful and awaken within us a sense of awe while being threatening in their size and how they dominant the landscape.

Many places throughout the world were frequented by these hunter-gatherers, which we know by the art they left behind. The majority of these are cave paintings that are inaccessible and difficult to reach, suggesting that these were not for decorative use but were rather symbolic and likely used in rituals. In other words, by drawing a successful hunt scene on the cave wall, they would have success with the hunt when next they went in search of game. It seems as if they were trying to record some sense of not only their daily lives, but also their experience with the numinous.

Cave art in northern Spain