Question

Write a short note on the sources to study the religious practices of the hunter-gatherers.

Answer 1

Instructions:

• List down the names of the sources to study the religion of the hunter-gatherers.
• Add in details about their religious practices.

Solution: The main sources to study about the religious practices of hunter-gatherers are:

• The paintings on caves or rocks.
• Archeological excavations of the burials.
• Studying current communities of hunter-gatherers like the Chenchus.

By studying the paintings, archaeologists have deduced that hunting scenes were painted on cave walls in the hope for a better hunt. Excavations of the burials have indicated their belief in the concept of afterlife, and the existing beliefs of the Chenchus also help us to construct the religious practices of the hunter-gatherers.