Final answer:
Our earliest ancestors as hunter-gatherers relied on hunting and gathering for their sustenance. They ate what they could catch or gather immediately as they had no way to preserve or transport food. Their belief systems likely involved spirituality and a connection to the natural world.
Step-by-step explanation:
Our earliest ancestors lived as hunter-gatherers, relying on the resources available in their environment for sustenance. Before they had fire, they would eat what they could catch or gather immediately, as they had no way to preserve or transport food. This included hunting animals for meat and gathering wild fruits, vegetables, and cereals.
The belief systems of our Paleolithic ancestors likely involved spirituality and a connection to the natural world. They may have recognized a degree of spirituality in plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena like fire. The detailed cave paintings left by our ancestors may offer insights into their ideas about the supernatural.
Throughout history, different indigenous societies developed their own ritualistic hunting behaviors. For example, the Yukaghir people in Siberia participated in activities such as taking sauna baths, using code words, and performing rituals around fire to seduce animal spirits. These practices maintained a bond between the hunter and the hunted.