"Primitive War" Topic

"…According to Carl Haub, some 1138 million prehistoric humans were born between 50,000 and 8,000 BCE. According to the above analysis of Table 6.2, 170 million of them would have died in war.

Or instead, we could apply the analysis of Table 6.1. Assuming an average prehistoric population of 3 million, this indicates 4500 KIA each year worldwide, or 189 million for all the years between 50,000 and 8,000 BCE.

For later history, let's assume that from 8000 BCE to 1500 CE, the world's primitive population stayed about the same -- at 5 million. (After all, population growth would be confined to technologically innovative societies -- you know, civilization.) With 0.45% of them dying in war every year, this adds up to another 214 million killed in primitive war…."
See here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Wait, I thought the oldest evidence for any type of warfare was only abut 10-12k years? With a single outlyer in australia a bit earlier than that?

That's an interesting and disturbing website Tango.

Mike T, it depends what you mean by 'warfare'. Chimpanzees murder their neighbors and take over their territory. It seems likely that humans have done the same since before the lineages split.

There'a a lot of evidence for interpersonal violence in ancient remains: healed and unhealed fractures, cut marks, the occasional stone point embedded in bone. A lot of it looks like 'domestic violence', like big males pounding on smaller females and sub-adults within the band. But most likely some of the interactions were outside the immediate family.

However, then again, looking at the statistics being cited…it might not be valid to project this statistical model of warfare back to 50K BP. I say this because, AFAIK, all the 'primitive societies that survived long enough to be analyzed by modern demographics' were neolithic, stone age farmers – that's pretty advanced, the neolithic farming life only became established about 10K years ago. I don't know whether Keeley's statistics can be applied to hunter-gatherers.

There is a fascinating discussion on the origins of war that involves some very distinct and strong views on the part of anthropologists – I think the most reasonable consensus is that hunter-gather societies are not as peaceful as you would think and they did have conflicts – some would say primitive war – but resources and technology put a cap on the number of casualties

John Keegan has written on this as well

Marvin Harris is worth a gander on the subject as well.

Although dealing with a later time period, Lawrence Keeley also reached a similar conclusion concerning human society prior to the advent of advanced civilizations. You should read his book. I found it fascinating: link

Kevin

Glad you enjoyed the article boys. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand