WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -People in the ancient world did not always believe in the gods, a new study suggests – casting doubt on the idea that religious belief is a ‘default setting’ for humans.

Detailed explanation-2: -Results indicate that the oldest trait of religion, present in the most recent common ancestor of present-day hunter-gatherers, was animism, in agreement with long-standing beliefs about the fundamental role of this trait. Belief in an afterlife emerged, followed by shamanism and ancestor worship.

Detailed explanation-3: -Upper Paleolithic religions were presumably polytheist, venerating multiple deities, as this form of religion predates monotheism in recorded history.