tsodilo hills snake rock: first evidence of religion
DESCRIPTION
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”TRANSCRIPT
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.