I previously discussed the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon religions, which were identified archaeologically as the Stone Age. However, the Neolithic or late Stone Age that followed was reaped in innovation including new weaponry and a developing agricultural system.
Geographically, this was a very important time for people looking to settle in one place, however the weather would never allow it. When people realized that they could plant seeds, harvest the crops, and store them, their lives changed incredibly. They were able to settle in one place, thus setting up permanent dwellings. This directly resulted in a huge population growth in which, people started to work together to grow and harvest food. Consequently in Egypt, land surveying started to take place using science and mathematics to establish the boundaries of land ownership.
People now had the ability to sit back and allow the crops to grow, leaving them more time to delve into other subjects such as religion and astronomy. In fact, most of what they started to learn was based upon nature including the changing of the seasons, the tides, the phases of the moon,and the movements of the stars This is initially where religions based upon the stars, sun, moon, and seasons started to evolve.
The Neolithic people are greatly associated with the use of Megaliths, the two best examples being Stonehenge and Brittany in France. Brimming with speculation, the megaliths have been rumored to be associated with a cult of the dead and ancestor veneration, however due to the lack of written records no one really knows the truth. It does seem quite odd that these massive stones were transported to certain locations from a quarry, many times at a great distance from the original location. There must have been a real purpose behind it.
Also, archaeologists have turned up bones of man, woman, and child, along with ornaments and tools from large burial sites, thus indicating that the chieftain would be served in the next life.
What are your opinions? Please comment below and tell me what you think the megaliths were used for and why.
Pictures Sources: Mane Braz
Geographically, this was a very important time for people looking to settle in one place, however the weather would never allow it. When people realized that they could plant seeds, harvest the crops, and store them, their lives changed incredibly. They were able to settle in one place, thus setting up permanent dwellings. This directly resulted in a huge population growth in which, people started to work together to grow and harvest food. Consequently in Egypt, land surveying started to take place using science and mathematics to establish the boundaries of land ownership.
People now had the ability to sit back and allow the crops to grow, leaving them more time to delve into other subjects such as religion and astronomy. In fact, most of what they started to learn was based upon nature including the changing of the seasons, the tides, the phases of the moon,and the movements of the stars This is initially where religions based upon the stars, sun, moon, and seasons started to evolve.
What do we know about the Neolithic People?
The Neolithic people are greatly associated with the use of Megaliths, the two best examples being Stonehenge and Brittany in France. Brimming with speculation, the megaliths have been rumored to be associated with a cult of the dead and ancestor veneration, however due to the lack of written records no one really knows the truth. It does seem quite odd that these massive stones were transported to certain locations from a quarry, many times at a great distance from the original location. There must have been a real purpose behind it.
Also, archaeologists have turned up bones of man, woman, and child, along with ornaments and tools from large burial sites, thus indicating that the chieftain would be served in the next life.
What are your opinions? Please comment below and tell me what you think the megaliths were used for and why.
Pictures Sources: Mane Braz
