https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/human-remains-chilean-desert-reveal-its-first-farmers-fought-death-180978460/
Quote from: Duncan Head on Aug 25, 2021, 10:24 PM
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/human-remains-chilean-desert-reveal-its-first-farmers-fought-death-180978460/
somebody had a rough paper round!
It does sometimes surprise me that so many archaeologists are themselves surprised by the fact that ancient man had such a propensity to bash in his neighbour's skull for the sake of scarce resources. The curse of modern liberal and social studies, I suppose...
Quote from: DBS on Aug 27, 2021, 07:08 PM
It does sometimes surprise me that so many archaeologists are themselves surprised by the fact that ancient man had such a propensity to bash in his neighbour's skull for the sake of scarce resources. The curse of modern liberal and social studies, I suppose...
I suspect it says more about modern attitudes than that of the contemporaries of the victim.
But reading any court report from before 1600 in England shows that lethal violence was probably more common than it is now
Quote from: Jim Webster on Aug 28, 2021, 09:15 AM
Quote from: DBS on Aug 27, 2021, 07:08 PM
It does sometimes surprise me that so many archaeologists are themselves surprised by the fact that ancient man had such a propensity to bash in his neighbour's skull for the sake of scarce resources. The curse of modern liberal and social studies, I suppose...
I suspect it says more about modern attitudes than that of the contemporaries of the victim.
But reading any court report from before 1600 in England shows that lethal violence was probably more common than it is now
Can I recommend "War Before Civilisation" Lawrence H Keeley. It does a decent job of nullifying the myth of the peaceful savage in history
I'd also recommend Mortal Wounds by Martin Smith, who has a lot on the archaeology of early violence.