Tsodilo Hills snake rock: first evidence of religion
Tsodilo Hills snake rock: first evidence of religion? Beads and body ornaments: evidence of trade networks? Tsodilo Hills of Botswana. Ritually-modified snake-rock, dated to around 70,000 ybp 6 meter long by 2 meter high. The python plays an especially prominent role in San creation myths and Tsodilo hills are thought to be sacred. Still Bay & Howiesons Poort precocious industries, exotic microliths ,000 ybp Beads 100,000-70,000 ybp (Blombos Cave, SA; Skhul, Israel; Oued Djebbana, Algeria site potential hxaro gifts) As societies becoming increasingly dissimilar greater policing required to ensure cooperation Bruniquel Cave (France) vs
Bruniquel Cave (France) vs. Rhino Cave (Tsodilo Hills, Botswana) Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens Cave Rituals Tsodilo Hills, central Botswana, from a distance Bruniquel: all materials used found in the cave Rhino: exotic materials brought to the cave and burned and destroyed in ritual activity Rhino cave rituals higher cost UP religion Les Trois Freres Sorcerer image
Bird-man image from shaft at Lascaux Both dated to Magdalenian era 18,000-12,000 ybp UP Painted Caves Chauvet Cave 30,000 ybp Altamira 16,000 ybp Lascaux 16,000 ybp Early UP evidence of religion
Sungir burial 28,000ybp Hohlenstein-Stadel lion-man 30,000ybp Fumane Cave shaman 35,000ybp Supernatural value monitoring: Gods who care
Earliest forms of religion represented supernatural layer to social life Animism: personalizing the natural world Shamanism: mediating between the natural and supernatural Ancestors: guardians of tradition and taboo Humans always behave better when being watched, a supernaturalized social world is one with constant monitoring. Human relationships and community elevated by presumed value monitoring Why supernaturalize social life?
Group benefits Supernaturalized rituals more effective in promoting group cohesion and trust Orthodox kibbutz, religions communes more cohesive, enduring, individuals more self-sacrificing compared to secular. Group competition likely in ancestral past (64% engaged in regular group warfare; only 11% peaceful) Ritual and norm following
Following norms of: - in-group cooperativeness - self-restraint - commitment in marriage - honesty - charity All positively correlated in increased ritual activity Support for extreme form of norm-following, parochial altruism, cross-culturally associated with increased ritual participation (Ginges, et al., 2009). Experimental study (Wiltermuth & Heath, 2009); those who participated in group-coordinated; synchronized activities more cooperative and generous later (muscular bonding) Heeding the message: Creating complex societies through social norms
Only humans have social norms Chimps are rational maximizers in dictator games; no third party punishment among chimps Social norms vs. conventions Conventions: rules for coordinating activity Morally weighty social rules that all are ought to follow (character, reputation, social standing, and social sanctions determined by norms). Con: raising hands to be recognized Norm: respecting elders, repaying debts etc. Why did Cro-Magnons replace Neanderthals?
Cognitive differences alone seem inadequate Cooperative Hunting (Le Cotte) Worked beads/pendants (Arcy sur Cure) Art? (La Roche-Cotard mask) These finds are relatively rare Consistent social differences
Cro-Magnon sites consistently larger, more frequent, more spatially organized (sometimes), more intensely used and occupied, higher population densities, greater seasonal aggregation. Evidence of long-distance trading networks Stronger Social Identity
First evidence of body ornaments sometime between ,000 ybp. Emergence of durable social marking Expansion of Parietal lobe greater capacity for social categorization. Troop to tribe transition An older generation Caspari and Lee (2004) analyzed tooth samples from Australopiths, Early Homo, Neanderthals, and Cro-Magnons. Older/Younger adults (Older = 2X average age of reproduction) A=.12; EH=.25; N=.39; C-M=2.08. Only among UP modern humans was there evidence of an older generation. Effects of an Older Generation
Greater security and stability: more eyes to watch children, more hands to procure resources. Cultural continuity: traditions, skills more effectively passed on, stronger cultural identity. Social role specialization: domestic/economic tasks can be more effectively spread among adult group members. Sex-role specialization.