#x98;The#x9C; origins of religion in the Paleolithic

How did religion emerge—and why? What are the links between behavior, environment, and religiosity? Diving millions of years into the past, to a time when human ancestors began grappling with issues of safety, worth, identity, loss, power, and meaning in complex and difficult environments, Gregory J. Wightman explores the significance of goal-directed action and the rise of material culture for the advent of religiosity and ritual. The book opens by tackling questions of cognitive evolution and group psychology, and how these ideas can integrate with archaeological evidence such as stone tools, shell beads, and graves. In turn, it focuses on how human ancestors engaged with their environments, how those engagements became routine, and how, eventually, certain routines took on a recognizably ritualistic flavor. Wightman also critically examines the very real constraints on drawing inferences about prehistoric belief systems solely from limited material residues. Nevertheless, Wightman argues that symbolic objects are not merely illustrative of religion, but also constitutive of it; in the continual dance between brain and behavior, between internal and external environments, lie the seeds of ritual and religion. Weaving together insights from archaeology; anthropology; cognitive and cultural neuroscience; history and philosophy of religions; and evolutionary, social, and developmental psychology, Wightman provides an intricate, evidence-based understanding of religion’s earliest origins. Contents 9 List of Figures 11 Maps 13 Chapter One: Introduction 15 Part I: The Embodied Brain: Neuropsychology and Religious Ritual 29 Chapter Two: Mirroring and Empathy 31 Chapter Three: Acting in Concert 39 Synchrony and Joint Action 39 Synchrony, Mirroring, and Ritual 48 Chapter Four: The Malleable Brain 51 Chapter Five: Ritualizing Sound and Movement 63 Notes 74 Chapter Six: Projecting the Self 75 Sensed Presences 75 Anthropomorphism 80 Chapter Seven: External Agents 93 Ultimate Sources of Power 93 Ethics, Morality, and Compliance 98 Supernatural Agents 101 Chapter Eight: Language, Ritual, and Religion 111 Note 119 Chapter Nine: Dynamic Fields of Consciousness 121 Chapter Ten: Private and Corporate Ritual 133 Part II: The Embedded Body: From Routines to Rituals through Material Engagements 145 Chapter Eleven: First Stirrings 147 Antecedents, 6.0–3.5 mya 147 Archaic Hominins, 3.5–1.7 mya 153 Notes 161 Chapter Twelve: Negotiating Land 163 Moving through Land 163 Stopping Places 165 Fire 169 Monumentalizing the Landscape 171 Chapter Thirteen: Tools, Minds, and Rituals 173 Chapter Fourteen: Making a Mark 185 Emergence of Marking 185 Object Curation and Anthropomorphism 186 Manipulation of Colored Pigments 188 Marking the Living Body 191 Chapter Fifteen: Death and Beyond 195 Death Awareness 195 Neanderthal Burials 201 Animal Burials and Bone Caching 209 Notes 211 Chapter Sixteen: African Sapients, 200–50 kya 213 Monuments and Landscape Marking 215 Materials as “Symbols” 222 Burial Rituals 231 Notes 232 Chapter Seventeen: The Emergence of Religious Ritual 233 Before the Paleolithic 233 The Lower Paleolithic 236 The Middle Paleolithic 241 Looking Forward 246 References 251 Index 293 About the Author 307 How Did Religion Emerge And Why? What Are The Links Between Behavior, Environment, And Religiosity? Diving Millions Of Years Into The Past, To A Time When Human Ancestors Began Grappling With Issues Of Safety, Worth, Identity, Loss, Power, And Meaning In Complex And Difficult Environments, Gregory J. Wightman Explores The Significance Of Goal-directed Action And The Rise Of Material Culture For The Advent Of Religiosity And Ritual. The Book Opens By Tackling Questions Of Cognitive Evolution And Group Psychology, And How These Ideas Can Integrate With Archaeological Evidence Such As Stone Tools, Shell Beads, And Graves. In Turn, It Focuses On How Human Ancestors Engaged With Their Environments, How Those Engagements Became Routine, And How, Eventually, Certain Routines Took On A Recognizably Ritualistic Flavor. Wightman Also Critically Examines The Very Real Constraints On Drawing Inferences About Prehistoric Belief Systems Solely From Limited Material Residues. Nevertheless, Wightman Argues That Symbolic Objects Are Not Merely Illustrative Of Religion, But Also Constitutive Of It; In The Continual Dance Between Brain And Behavior, Between Internal And External Environments, Lie The Seeds Of Ritual And Religion. Weaving Together Insights From Archaeology; Anthropology; Cognitive And Cultural Neuroscience; History And Philosophy Of Religions; And Evolutionary, Social, And Developmental Psychology, Wightman Provides An Intricate, Evidence-based Understanding Of Religion S Earliest Origins.