1. ANCIENT RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

2. Prehistoric Religious Practices  How do we know what was practiced tens of thousands of years ago?  We look at archaeological findings (like rock paintings, sculptures, tools, and home structure) and speculate based on what indigenous belief systems are like today

3. Shamanism  Not a unified faith  Describes a diverse set of practices  View of the world and beyond:  Our life on earth can be affected by the spirit world  TERM: Shamans are men or women who can interact with the spirit world while they are in a trance  Places: China, Japan, Siberia, Alaska to South America

4.  https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XOvQOnjA-5A https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XOvQOnjA-5A  (1:18)

5. Animism (TERM)  an·i·mism (n-mzm)n.  1. The belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena.  2. The belief in the existence of spiritual beings that are separable or separate from bodies.  3. The hypothesis holding that an immaterial force animates the universe  Ancient Chinese Religion:  http://www.history.com/videos/religions-of-ancient- china#religions-of-ancient-china http://www.history.com/videos/religions-of-ancient- china#religions-of-ancient-china

6. Totems (TERM)  Often associated with Native American beliefs  An animal or other figure that represents the spirit of a group of people (like a family)

7. Famous Ancient Sites Believed to be Religious in Nature

8. Ancient Egypt  Time: 3100-323 BCE  Place: Nile River/ cycle of life and death influenced Egyptian beliefs.  Nile Valley was long and needed a strong central ruling center – religion and pharaohs provided this  Leaders: Pharaohs were linked with sun god, Ra and thought to be immortal  Mummification  Gods: Multiple gods for multiple purposes  Childbirth, passage into next world, fertility, etc.

9. http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=250777 http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/videos#journey-to-the- afterlife

10. Zoroastrianism  Time: 600 BCE – 600ish CE  Place: Persia (Iran)  Leaders: Prophet Zoroaster  Gods: Two (good and evil) who constantly battle  Fate of people: depends on choice of the two gods based on a person’s good deeds  Influenced Judaism and Christianity  Angels, heaven and hell, good and evil

11. Greek and Roman Religions