RITUAL IN HUMAN EVOLUTION Interdisciplinary Perspectives International Conference Tübingen, Oct. 4–6, 2023

Since the 19th century, the phenomenon of ritual has captured the attention of various
scientific disciplines, such as theology, sociology, and ethnography. In the last 25 years,
empirical research applying the theories and research tools of cognitive sciences has
yielded a significant increase in knowledge about the psychologically active elements of
rituals. Despite this impressive accumulation of data and the many years of theorizing,
researchers rarely delve into questions about the evolutionary origins of this distinctly
human behavior. Moreover, attempts to integrate the latest discoveries from prehistoric
archaeology—especially those from the Paleolithic era—into evolutionary-cognitive
perspectives on ritual are typically lacking. Hence, the purpose of this conference is to unite
researchers from distinct disciplines and foster a fruitful interdisciplinary dialog. We aim to
collectively assess our current understanding of ritual evolution and identify shared research
perspectives. We believe that the scientific investigation of ritual evolution demands a
genuinely cross-disciplinary approach—one that deliberately transcends the historical
barriers between the humanities and natural sciences. Scholars from prehistoric
archaeology, psychology, primatology, anthropology, and other fields within the social and
cognitive sciences will explore various aspects related to the four central themes of the
conference:
1. What do we know about ritual behavior of today’s Homo sapiens?
2. What do we know about the ritualized behaviors of our closest primate relatives?
3. What do we know about the oldest rituals in the Paleolithic?
4. What are the connections between the evolution of ritual and Paleolithic art?