The Unfolding of Ritual Life in Old Europe:
A Mesolithic Heritage

Harald Haarmann (Finland) and Joan Marler (USA)

While the establishment of farming has often been referred to as the “Neolithic revolution,” the spread of agrarian practices and lifeways was not a sudden event, but a complex and nuanced process involving the knowledge and histories of peoples living in a range of environments.  The warming of the northern hemisphere at the end of the Ice Age brought a progressive transformation of ecological landscapes. The Mesolithic—from the beginning of the Holocene to the establishment of widespread farming—was a period of dynamic environmental change spawning creative adaptation by hunter-gatherer populations.

Evidence of ritual activity is well-known throughout the Paleolithic era.  During the Mesolithic, sacred practices continued, aligning human communities with the vibrant powers of a changing world.  As Neolithic societies became established in Southeastern Europe they produced sculptures, portable altars and ceremonial items indicating an enduring dedication to domestic and communal rituals linked with the seasonal realities of agrarian life.

This investigation explores the transition to Neolithic lifeways, the continuity and innovation of ongoing Neolithic  activities, and evidence of the Mesolithic roots of Old European beliefs and ritual practices.