The Basis for Religion
Most known human communities, even before recorded time, probably sustained some form of religion. Cremated human remains suggest ritualistic behavior after death in the era from 200,000 to 40,000 BCE (before current era). Human remains buried with various forms of Venus figurines from 38,000 BCE, human remains from 25,000 BCE buried with personal possessions, and organized grave yards from 13,000 BCE support that possibility.
Numerous examples of human-made Venus figurines recovered from periods after 35,000 BCE across Europe suggest the evolution of abstract thinking among humans of that era, existence of matriarchal societies, and the evolution of organized social systems and religious beliefs. Because these artifacts were mostly discovered in areas of human settlement, archeologists believe that they are likely symbols of security, success, fertility, and adoration of a mother goddess.
Social evolution from hunter gatherer bands to agrarian states required development of complex social systems. Anthropologists estimate that most hunter gatherer bands living between 70,000 to 40,000 BCE consisted of fewer than 60 humans. Because of the need to move constantly in search of food sources, they lived in temporary villages; the number of humans in each mobile village remained small. These groups often had limited social structure.
Over millennia, some groups began to develop horticultural or pastoral skills which allowed them a more consistent subsistence. Typical of evolution, trial and error dominated the evolutionary process. Some groups thrived, others failed. Over time, successful groups began to develop concepts about community welfare, identifying and codifying (through storytelling) human behaviors that contributed to community success. As such groups thrived, their code for survival induced a form of social interaction that supported community wellbeing. Individuals in these communities learned that collaboration in a communal way ensured success of individuals. Codification of the best practices underlying community success identified the organization (i.e. governance) and personal behavior (i.e. religion) that allowed individuals to thrive in a supportive environment. Government and religion that evolved to ensure survival of the species are known to have been well founded by 11,000 BCE. Early religions represented a process of codifying with scrupulous attention to detail successful activities of society to ensure success of the society.
Religion served to bind people together in common practices and beliefs to support community and individual wellbeing. In the earliest human communities, the goal was rudimentary - survival. Development of processes enabling humans to create offspring and raise them to maturity ensured survival of the species. Understanding processes and human practices that facilitated survival enabled communities to thrive. Worship evolved as a form of expression for religion. Leaders incorporated worship into the process of modulating human behavior to the benefit of community. Some leaders molded worship to include the concept that the leader was to be worshipped.
Worship of gods and goddesses was important in supporting a shared culture where symbols and stories and community approval became the community standard. These early forms of religion comprised of various patterns of belief and practice represent the earliest known cultural systems.
Survival was the dominant reason for development of cultural norms. Religion represents the best system that humans could devise to ensure survival and to ensure that wisdom inherited or acquired by one generation was passed on to the next generation. Most religions share the importance of protecting and retaining those societal features that were deemed good, valuable, and worthy in the context of life and death. However in the early days of evolution, there was no belief in life after death.
The earliest written records of developed religion were created in Egypt approximately 5000 BCE. Because the Nile River was an essential fertility element in community success, symbolism associated with the River became culturally important. Items of worship included images of cats, the ankh (a symbol of life), the gods Isis and Horus; the community leader, Pharaoh, was considered god-king.
Worship evolving before 3,000 BCE in the Eurasia (Middle East) region had a different perspective focused on individual responsibility, known as Zoroastrianism. The individual was forced to deal with the opposing forces of good and evil. Choice of good, demonstrated by good deeds, allowed the soul of the individual after death to enter paradise, one of the first signs of belief in life after death. Those who choose evil fell into the House of the Lie, a place of torment.
Evolution of more recent organized religions are described in documents found at the page titled Religion Index.
