There is no culture recorded in human history which has not practiced some form of religion, although ancient religions often were what we might term mythology, which may have included rituals that were believed to appease the deities. Ancient Egyptian gods behaved in a manner that mirrored the Egyptian culture, while Ancient Greek gods behaved in ways that were the antithesis of the culture of the time and place. Religion is concerned with the spiritual aspect of the human condition and role of people in the world, life after death, the creation of the world, and it often includes gods, goddesses, or a single god or goddess. However, ancient religions tended not to be monotheistic, Judaism being perhaps the oldest monotheistic religion. The people of the ancient world believed in many gods, each with a special sphere of influence, which sometimes overlapped. In some cultures and times, a god or goddess would become so popular that he or she would assume a position of henotheism, which means the worship of one god in many forms. For the purposes of categorization, this category will be set aside for the listing of web sites whose topics relate to ancient religions which are no longer active in the world today. While they may otherwise qualify as ancient, those which have active congregations will be listed within the World Religions categories rather than this one.
 
 
Feature Article
Pre-Human Religion?

We cannot know, with certainty, what the ancestors
of mankind thought or believed in, because we cannot view the world
through their eyes. However, we can look at the things that they left
behind, such as cave paintings and stone figures, as well as the ways in
which they disposed of their dead, and artifacts that have been found at
burial sites; viewing the evidence we do have, we can make conjectures.
We know that Homo erectus pekinensis,
better known as Peking Man, collected the heads of others of their kind,
arranging them on shelves or along the walls of their caves, and it
appears that they had extracted and probably eaten the brains. Was this a
religious ritual or did they simply find the brains to be tasty? However,
there was an abundance of animals for them to hunt, and to use for food,
so it doesn't seem likely that cannibalism was necessary for their
survival. In more modern societies, cannibalism implies an incorporation
of the dead man's vigor or power, and would be classified as a religious
observance.
In Russia
and the Ukraine,
circles of mammoth skulls were found, dated from roughly 750,000 years
ago, which was the era in which the Peking Man lived. There may have been
a religious purpose for this arrangement, or perhaps the skulls were used
as weights holding down tent cloths, rather than stones. We can't know for
sure.
The Neanderthals, who lived from 600,000 to about 30,000 years ago, show
clearer signs of religious observance in the way in which they disposed of
their dead.
Some of their dead were buried carefully, the bodies placed in a crouching
position, and food offerings, hand axes, awls, and chipped scrapers were
placed in the graves, the reasonable assumption being that these items
were left there in order to serve the dead person in another life.
A body found in Iraq,
from this period, had been buried along with eight species of flowers. In
Turkestan, the body of a child was found buried with five pairs of horns
from a mountain goat, placed in a circle.
During the Old Stone Age period, the bodies of Neanderthals were sometimes
painted with red ochre. Interestingly, grave sites of the earliest known
humans in Maine
and the Atlantic Canadian
region, dating from 3,000 to 1,000 BCE, were also found to have used large
quantities of red ochre, covering the bodies of the dead and the
implements and other items that were buried with them.
The Neanderthals seem to have revered the cave bear, setting aside bear
skulls, without removing the brains, placing them in their caves on slabs
of stone, shelves or niches. Was this a form of religion or decoration?
The Cro-Magnon are often viewed as the first early modern humans. They
lived approximately 40,000 years ago, and are not generally believed to
have become extinct, but to have simply evolved into modern human beings.
Like the Neanderthals, the Cro-Magnon people buried their dead, often
placed beneath protective stone slab, and surrounded by items such as
food, shell bracelets, stone tools, and weapons.
The Cro-Magnon people also practiced the custom of covering the bodies of
the dead with red ochre. At times, it appears that bodies were later
reburied, and the bones covered with red ochre.
The Cro-Magnons were the first to take up painting and modeling, their
chief subjects being the animals that they hunted, which included horses,
bison, deer, wild boar, cave bears, and mammoths, which have been found in
murals as well as in clay figures.
While their paintings and models of animals were realistic, human figures
were rare and, when they were painted, they were represented as stick
figures.
As these paintings were found deep within their caves, it is assumed that
there was a religious significance to their art. In one painting, a human
being is shown, masked, and with a long beard and human feet, but with
reindeer antlers, the ears of a stag, the paws of a bear, and a horse's
tail, similar to the manner in which the Native American shaman was often
represented. Or these may have been simply decorations, created by Cro-Magnon
artists who were passing time in their caves during inclement weather.
Did the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man believe in life after death? Much
of the evidence is speculative, but the inclusion of survival tools, food,
and other items along with the burial of their dead is the strongest
evidence that they did.
We cannot know for sure though, because they did not write bibles or
create creeds.
In his book, A History of the World
Religions, which I used as one of my sources for this article,
David S. Noss said that "religion is a product of the earliest attempt of
the human mind to achieve a sense of security in the world."
Perhaps even our earliest ancestors were searching for this security. We
cannot know, with any degree of certainty, whether they were capable of
religious feeling, but it appears that they may have been, in their way.
Recommended Resources
The religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians are discussed, including their creation myth, ancient gods, practice of mummification, their belief in the soul, afterlife, magic and symbology, as well as Egyptian sacred texts, such as the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, and Book of the Dead. A comparison of Egyptian religion and Islam is made, the historical developments of Egyptian religion are related.
http://www.aldokkan.com/religion/religion.htm
Offering information about the gods, goddesses and religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptian people, the informational site is divided into five sections: the Gods, the Myths, the Symbols, the Land, and the Resources, the latter of which includes links to other helpful web sites about ancient Egypt. The section about the gods of Egypt includes the major gods and goddesses in Egyptian mythology, the section on the myths tells the major myths and tales of ancient Egypt.
http://www.egyptianmyths.net/
Offering a reference to the many stories that have been formed by people from all over the earth, throughout history, the site includes Biblical stories and the mythology of the ancient Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Mayan, Mesopotamian, Norse, and Roman people. Zoroastrianism is also included. Significant gods, goddesses, and sacred texts of these religions are also discussed, including references and links to further information.
http://www.ancient-mythology.com/
All major world religions have an account of the creation of the universe, the earth, and the living things. This section of Ancient Origins examines the creation beliefs of the major world religions, with a focus on ancient religions. Creation accounts are presented, related to the religion, and controversies are discussed. Included are the top ranking gods in the Sumerian pantheon, the Hindu goddess of aesthetics, the tradition of sky burials among the Tibetan people, and others.
http://www.ancient-origins.net/religions
The ancient Mesopotamian people painted animals on the wall of their caves. They built large ziggurats, and buried their dead with objects that would be useful in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians worshipped more than two thousand gods and goddesses, many with human bodies and animal heads. The Indus Valley people worshipped gods and goddesses, as well as animals, and the ancient Chinese worshipped their ancestors. These ancient religions are discussed.
http://ancientcivilizationreligion.weebly.com/
Although this resource looks beyond the religions of ancient times, its topics seek to bridge the gap between ancient mythology and modern scientific discovery, and to provide a clarification of modern myths and ancient discoveries. Featured is an index of ancient sites, anomalous artifacts, prehistoric sciences, sacred geometry, Paleolithic wisdom, archaeoastronomy, the ancient beliefs in a living earth (Gaia), and the art of healing.
http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/
This Internet encyclopedia of mythology and folklore is subcategorized for ease of use, with the mythology section divided into six geographical regions, each with defined subdivisions, while the folklore section contains general folklore, Arthurian legends and regional folklore from various parts of the world. Special interest areas include a bestiary section, legendary heroes, images, and genealogical tables.
http://www.pantheon.org/
Greek mythology and myths are defined, including the way in which gods and other deities, heroes, weak men and women, monsters, and creatures from unknown worlds all play a part in Ancient Greek mythology, and how the stories and legends form the basis of Ancient Greek spiritual and religious practice. Articles relating to the various gods, goddesses, people, and others may be found by tags or its subject matter may be browsed by topic.
http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/
Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks told stories about their many gods, goddesses and magical beings. These stories are known today as myths, and many of them are retold here in a manner intended to be understood and appreciated by children. Included are Greek myths about Aprhodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Echo, Eros, Hades, Helios and Phaethon, Hephaestus, Hera, Hercules, Hermes, Icarus, the King of Corinth, the King of Midas, King Tatalus, Minotaur, and others.
http://www.greekmyths4kids.com/
Pedia View: Prehistoric Religion
Using a Wiki platform, the religious beliefs and practices of prehistoric people are discussed, with a particular emphasis on the religions of the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age periods. Topics include anthropology, comparative religion, religious development, neurotheology, origins, and physchology, as they related to ancient religions and mythology. References and resources are included.
http://pediaview.com/openpedia/Prehistoric_religion
Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean
The discussion of the ancient religions practiced by Mediterranean people is hosted and maintained by Philip A. Hartland, an associate professor at York University in Toronto, and the author of several books on religion. He discusses the collection of inscriptions, papyri and other sources from the Greco-Roman world, and the text of his book on associations, synagogues, and congregations of early Christianity, diaspora Judaism, and other religious activity may be downloaded in PDF format.
http://www.philipharland.com/
Society for Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Organized for the purpose of promoting the study of the religions of the ancient Mediterranean basin, SAMR seeks to facilitate interaction between the works of scholars of Near Eastern studies, classics, religion, and related fields. Its membership requirements and policies, bylaws, a list of officers and contacts, conference schedules, a newsletter, and a call for papers are included.
http://samreligions.org/
The focus of this online discussion forum is on the religions of ancient Sumerica. Registration is required for participation, but there is no charge for membership. Anyone may read the forum, but members may create post and new topics so long as they relate to Sumerian religion or related topics, as specified by the forum administrator. When topics are created, other forum members may respond, creating a dialogue.
http://sumeria.proboards.com/
Based on the research and concepts of “The Ancient Religion of the Sun” and “The Path of the Spiritual Sun” by Lara Atwood, the site discusses the ancient religion of the sun that was practiced throughout the world by a lost global civilization, one that constructed some of the most enigmatic sacred sites on the planet. The religion and civilization are outlined, along with sacred sites, religious practices, and other resources.
https://www.spiritualsun.com/
ThoughtCo: What Was Greek Religion?
Written by N.S. Gill, the thesis consists of a discussion that seeks to go beyond Greek mythology, to examine the religion of the ancient Greeks. The importance of proper public behavior, the belief in many gods, and the role of festivals as public feasts, and the importance of the altar in Greek rituals are discussed, as well as the seemingly unimportance of contradiction or changing beliefs on Greek religion.
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-greek-religion-120520
Online since April 2, 1999, the informational site tells the tales and offers information on ancient and medieval mythology and legends, with a focus on four mythologies in Europe: Classical mythology, Norse mythology, Celtic mythology, and Arthurian legends. Also included is a collection of creative writings that have been written for the site over the years, a bibliography and other recommended readings, and biographical information about the author of the site.
https://www.timelessmyths.com/