Noticing cause-event chains and power of logic (if you are dead then there is no way back, so it is better to cure you before, not after death), ancient people were actually more materialists than idealist when it comes to actions and make important everyday life decisions.

Religions came later when they develop the ability to think abstract and began to wonder what drives events. And some more smart (priests) took advantage of ignorance of masses for the same reason modern politicians do - to prosper via control. In return they kept track of seasons (by observation of Sun) telling masses when to seed and to harvest, whom to elect/worship or whom to get rid of (showing ignorant masses comets or planetary motion), and they even did calculations (prediction of eclipses) - thus they often HAD to be scientists too (to survive and to prosper).

• They were ritualistic not materialistic. - pyxis - August 31, 2001 - 21:54 UTC
• Not a religion yet - petersand - September 1, 2001 - 20:52 UTC