Paleolithic and the Neolithic and the Dawn of Human Consciousness, Religious Beliefs and Practices

Hendrick Serrie

2022

Introduction

When and how did modern human consciousness arise?  Certain things had to come first, to create a base upon which subsequent things could emerge.

1.  The physical evolution of the human body

Several critical steps:

      * The development by the prehistoric ancestors of all living Primates (= monkeys, apes, humans) of hands, each with five fingers, including an opposable thumb.  This bodily form made the holding, manipulating, and throwing of objects possible.

       * The development by prehistoric Australopithecus (ape-man) of true bipedalism, the ability to stand, walk, and run on two legs for extended periods of time.  This bodily form liberated the hands from having to help move the body (e.g. gorilla knuckle-walking) and made holding objects while standing, walking or running possible.

       * The expansion of the braincase in successive Hominid forms, from Homo erectus (1,000cc.) to Homo sapiens Neanderthalensis (1400cc) and Anatomically Modern Homo sapiens sapiens (1350cc). This bodily form accompanied the progressive enlargement of the human brain and the expansion of human intelligence.

Animal Instincts and Human Culture

The expansion of human intelligence led to the development of human culture:  non-instinctual patterns of behavior transmitted by learning, as opposed to genetically programmed instincts.

2.  The development of human technology

       * The development of stone tools.  Other animals build nests and fashion tools, but no animal species invented techniques for modifying stones to create implements for pounding, cutting, and piercing.  “Paleolithic” means “Old Stone Age,” and throughout this period we see the human invention of progressively more effective and efficient tools for obtaining and preparing food.  Anthropologists assume that tools were also fashioned from wood, bone, horn and other materials that have not been preserved in prehistoric sites.

Simple choppers, hand axes.

Scrapers.

Projectile points, harpoons and spears

Bow and arrow.

       * The mastery of fire and the invention of torches.

For light, warmth, and protection from predator animals.

       * The invention of cooking, which resulted in the reduction of the massive jaw of premodern hominids.

       * The invention of clothing and shelters, which permitted the migration by human groups into colder ecological regions.

The Dawn of Human Consciousness

Humans are animals subject to all the biological requirements for maintaining life:  food-getting, shelter from the elements, protection from predators, mating and raising offspring. 

Beyond basic biology, human culture over generations builds up an enormous and constantly growing treasury of complex thought and emotional expression.

       * Increasing control over the natural environment

       * Existential speculations and complaints (cf. Gilgamesh)

       * Elaboration of the imagination

       * Myriad forms of recreation, fun

3.  The development of human language

Communication of complex information

Organization of social groups

Coordination of hunting activities

Formation of abstract concepts

4.  The development of human religion

Late Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans

       *  Burials and belief in an afterlife.

Deliberate arrangement of the corpse.

Ochre and jewelry for personal adornment.

Tools for hunting.

5.  The development of human art

Art as primordial nonlinguistic human communication

       *  Cave art and the secret performance of religious rituals.

Not done for mere decoration.  Extreme difficulty in accessing the  inner chambers of caves.  Requires torches for lighting. 

Extraordinary skill in naturalistic depiction of a variety of large mammals:  mammoths, horses, bison, aurochs, ibex, deer, bears, lions and wolves.

Motifs of hunting. 

Hand prints:  “I was here.”  Loss of fingers:  sacrifice?  commemor-ation? 

Shaman:  half man, half beast, with antlers and penis.

       *  Venus figurines and the personal expression of sexuality.

Small, carried on person.   

Sexuality: “Playboy centerfold.” 

Male virility. 

Female fertility. 

       *  Rock art and the public celebration of events.

Hunting scenes.

Sky observations.

Mnemonic marks:  counting?

6.  The development of human music

Music as primordial nonlinguistic communication.

       *  Musical instruments.

Drums and other percussion instruments.

Flutes and other wind instruments

Bows and other string instruments.