Some time ago, 15,000 years ago, our planet Earth already existed. There were also people back then. They were just like us. For people living today who are familiar with the natural sciences, this is hardly exciting news. However, one can also approach these views from other perspectives. Even if these simple statements are not accepted, the lines of thought presented here should be comprehensible, whilst keeping Europe in focus.

Slavs, Germanic peoples and even Celts were still unknown many millennia ago, just as unknown as the peoples living today were back then. Anyone who doubts this can look into it. We will never know exactly how life unfolded in every detail 15,000 years ago. We cannot know every detail. Nor can we ascertain them with absolute certainty.

Yet what we can know comes from two sources. One source stems from our study of the physical remains of the past, both on and beneath the earth’s surface. This study is also known as archaeology. The other source stems from what has been, and continues to be, passed down from person to person through many generations by means of language. For the period prior to 15,000 years ago, there are, at least so far, no known material artefacts that could, by means of a developed written language, convey complex facts from that bygone era. Artefacts such as stone tools, shells used as jewellery, or fossilised food remains—such as the bones of hunted animals and fruit pits—are found from time to time; these finds must be analysed, and this is achieved with the aid of sophisticated technology and a great deal of knowledge.

But there is also the collective memory of humanity itself. One can get a sense of just how far back human memory stretches by reflecting on major natural disasters such as the Great Flood or an asteroid or comet impact. It is not unlikely that the Great Flood and the impact mentioned here, which was observed, presumably, in the east from another continent in the west and has been handed down through calendar symbolism, might refer to the same epoch-making event. However, this does not span a period as long as fifteen millennia. In this context, one might allow oneself to briefly and very cautiously re-examine the matter of mythical or fable creatures. As far as the Great Flood is concerned, experts suggest that it is likely such an event did occur. Or that it might have happened. You can choose to believe it or not.

Both ways of passing down knowledge from the human past are, at the very least, fraught with difficulties and uncertainties. If they are incorrectly combined and conclusions are drawn from them, a false picture of a situation emerges. To a certain extent, these two approaches complement one another, for example when it comes to very ancient sites in the natural world and their old names. Thus, the names of rivers or mountains sometimes have very ancient origins. In the languages of Europe, and also in the languages of other parts of the world, one occasionally comes across terms for natural features that are thousands of years old. The meaning of individual terms has often been lost. However, one can at least surmise their meanings if one approaches the subject with the necessary knowledge. This can be described as comparative linguistic archaeology. Why, for example, is the River Danube called that? And what is the name of the river that flows through the next largest town, and what does that river’s name mean? The answer to these questions may come as a bit of a surprise to the reader. Why? Because the answer might be surprisingly easy to understand. Or the meaning of the name of a more or less well-known mountain – this, too, may come as a surprise. If, for example, one looks into the meanings of river and place names in another country with a different language, one will find that these names are often quite self-explanatory. Perhaps the most striking example is the explanation of the names of tribes and peoples. But human memory hardly stretches back that far. Yes, linguistic research can be interesting. But one might also say, ‘Surely this is rather banal.’ Yes, exactly. Trivial.

So how did our ancestors live? Did they live better or worse? And what constitutes ‘worse’ or ‘better’? Fifteen millennia ago, the world was still in the last Ice Age in climatic terms. This meant that northern Europe, in particular, lay beneath a vast ice sheet. By today’s standards, the physical lives of our ancestors were generally more precarious. Periods of food scarcity, direct exposure to the occasional ravages of nature, and often feeling helpless in the face of life-threatening diseases were all part of life. Hunting for edible animals was not always without danger. The aurochs, which could be hunted in some areas – the ancestor of our modern dairy cows – was an imposing, formidable bovine. Animals were also hunted for their fur, for example the brown bear, which was by no means harmless then and is still not so today. What has been largely forgotten in modern times is that, back then, humans were also a link in the food chain of other animals. To predators, they were simply prey. That may not sound very pleasant, but it is the plain truth.

People spent far less time working. Their work mainly consisted of hunting and gathering edible plants and their parts. If a large animal was killed, there was plenty to eat. If the hunt proved unsuccessful for some time, this meant going hungry. The issue of grain and food security came much later. Occasional violence amongst people at that time – whether between individuals or groups – cannot be ruled out from today’s perspective. However, cooperating with others is likely to have been the norm in a potentially dangerous natural environment.

From a mental and emotional perspective, however, their lives were probably more peaceful over long periods of time. 15,000 years ago, humans were also artists. Not every single person necessarily produced something brilliant. Rather, everyday art surrounded people in the form of their individual clothing to protect them from the cold and the elements, perhaps as body paint or tattoos, or decorations on hunting weapons and other objects. Paintings and engravings on rocks and in caves have been left to us, bearing witness to their engagement with the world around them. People lived together, in their daily lives, through the use of language and shared beliefs. These shared beliefs encompassed their views on how people should treat one another and, in all likelihood, on the afterlife, whatever one may understand by that term. Customs and traditions shaped the lives of both individuals and the community. Since human beings need more than just the satisfaction of basic biological needs, it should come as no surprise that belief in a world beyond the visible was also an everyday reality. This belief provided people with mental and spiritual support. Linguistic, material and genetic exchange between smaller and larger groups was a reality. Even today, for example, trade links can be demonstrated through the discovery of artefacts, often found in the ground. Some of the trade routes of that time were very extensive. In some cases, they stretched over hundreds of kilometres between the place of origin and the location where the artefacts are found today. This is how mussel and snail shells found their way even to areas far from the sea.

People fifteen thousand years ago were just like us. Generally speaking, there is nothing to distinguish us from our ancestors in terms of physical and mental strength. They simply did not yet know much about technology, finance or economic organisations. They probably thought about themselves and their world in a different way to how we do. And their lifespans were considerably shorter. Do we have things in common with our ancestors? Of course! We have been making mistakes for thousands of years. And some mistakes are always the same. Positive similarities include, amongst others, empathy and curiosity, and the urge to share our thoughts and engage in conversation. And, of course, there are some entirely natural traits which we, as biological beings, possess today just as our ancestors did.

Anyone who wants to delve deeper into the past of our ancestors can do so almost anywhere and at any time. There is no shortage of ways to find information. A traditional – and perhaps one day old-fashioned – way to get started is to visit a library. Or you could pop into a good bookshop. There are still books with printed paper pages. Reading a book also has advantages over staring at a screen for hours on end. Watching a film, such as a good documentary, can also provide insights in this regard. Or you could seek out and find someone to talk to, and have a conversation with them – not just via telecommunications technology, but face to face. As for which might be the best way – that is for everyone to decide for themselves.

Now, if anyone is disappointed or even put off because they were expecting something absolutely fascinating, I’ll just say straight out: yes, real life for us humans very often has a rather mundane side to it. Anyone looking for superficial, fast-paced thrills here needs to take some time out for themselves, whether it’s a short or a long time. Life itself sets things right.