There seems to be this common belief that people in ancient times, or even just pre-Enlightenment, weren't too skeptical of supernatural acts and claims. This is often attributed to why so many people believed in myths, religion, magic, etc. Is it arrogant to say that these people before us just had a primitive knowledge of the physical world, so they believed in all these supernatural stories? Or has our trust in the sciences truly made us far more skeptical than ever before?
Is it arrogant to say that these people before us just had a primitive knowledge of the physical world, so they believed in all these supernatural stories?
Yes, it is supremely arrogant and speaks very ill of how you view the people of the past. You're looking at a different world with eyes that are accustomed to the one you grew up in, which is only natural, but is also not quite the right thing to do. I commend to your attention u/MagratMakeTheTea's answer in this thread, which addresses a question along similar lines to this one.
Or has our trust in the sciences truly made us far more skeptical than ever before?
Given that we still have to deal with anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, Flat Earthers, and other such categories, I take leave to slap a giant [citation needed] on the human of 2021 being 'far more skeptical' than the human of 1021 AD or 1021 BC.