Comments on: Archaeologists Find Evidence of War a Millennium Earlier Than Expected http://greathistory.com/archaeologists-find-evidence-of-war-a-millennium-earlier-than-expected.htm The Best Blogging in History Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:58:20 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: frankchadwick http://greathistory.com/archaeologists-find-evidence-of-war-a-millennium-earlier-than-expected.htm/comment-page-1#comment-12768 frankchadwick Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:05:32 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=1027#comment-12768 The specific findings at Brak include a large mass grave with only adolescent and mature adults in it -- no infants or very old folks -- suggesting all of warrior age. Many of the remains show evidence of traumatic injury. Then there are the bones of domesticated meat animals and broken pottery burried with them but on top of their remains. The conclusion is a massacre of prisoners followed by a big victory feast held around the still-open grave, and finally the garbage from the feast thrown on top of the bodies and everything covered over. I'm not sure where you draw the line between raids and warfare, but this seems pretty clearly across the line. The specific findings at Brak include a large mass grave with only adolescent and mature adults in it — no infants or very old folks — suggesting all of warrior age. Many of the remains show evidence of traumatic injury. Then there are the bones of domesticated meat animals and broken pottery burried with them but on top of their remains. The conclusion is a massacre of prisoners followed by a big victory feast held around the still-open grave, and finally the garbage from the feast thrown on top of the bodies and everything covered over. I’m not sure where you draw the line between raids and warfare, but this seems pretty clearly across the line.

]]> By: Tam http://greathistory.com/archaeologists-find-evidence-of-war-a-millennium-earlier-than-expected.htm/comment-page-1#comment-12765 Tam Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:55:32 +0000 http://greathistory.com/?p=1027#comment-12765 A historical period that fascinates me. At what point did we go from the menfolk of Catal Huyuk or Jericho deciding to go boost a nearby settlement's sheep, to actual events that we all can recognize as "war"? A historical period that fascinates me.

At what point did we go from the menfolk of Catal Huyuk or Jericho deciding to go boost a nearby settlement’s sheep, to actual events that we all can recognize as “war”?

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