Spears and "The evolution of lethal intergroup violence"


http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20050822/warfare.html

Aug. 25, 2005? The invention of spears and the increasing organization of
ancient settlements led to an escalation of human group violence, according to
a new theory that examines the evolution of warfare.
...
According to Raymond Kelly, who formulated the theory, there at least was a
period without a lot of group violence from 1 million to 14,000 years ago, when
the overall population was lower and groups were less rigidly structured.

In his Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper, Kelly wrote that
"this period of Paleolithic warlessness, grounded in low population density, an
appreciation of the benefits of positive relations with neighbors, and a healthy
respect for their defensive capabilities" lasted until societies became more rigidly
structured.

Kelly, a University of Michigan anthropologist, explained to Discovery News that
the defensive weapon of choice during this period was the wooden projectile spear.
He believes these spears probably first were used around 1 million years ago, and
originally were created for hunting.

Evidence begins to surface that around the time of the Neanderthals, humans started to
spear each other.

Spears empowered defenders because people who initiated violence were more likely to be
killed than those they attacked. Kelly suggested it was better to be hiding in a bush
or a foxhole with a spear than was to be running toward the foxhole or bush with a
spear.

Spears had a role in the development of borders around territories, since defenders now
could arm and prepare themselves for attacks, most of which had to do with acquisition
of territory, mates, food and other resources.

Societies expanded and became more organized by 14,000 years ago. Kelly believes the
changes led to warfare.

"This organizational transformation facilitated the mobilization of all adult male group
members and their participation in preplanned dawn raids on settlements in which the
tactical advantages of surprise and numerical superiority could be brought to bear,"
Kelly wrote.

Defenders now appeared to be at a disadvantage.

Kelly explained, "Attackers characteristically inflict numerous casualties while suffering
few or none. This outcome is a consequence of weaponry amplifying the advantages of
surprise and numerical superiority."

Joyce Marcus, an anthropology professor and museum curator at the University of Michigan,
told Discovery News that the new theory "is very important."

"Kelly's research shows that the only human groups on Earth that are truly 'warless' are
those so small and socially uncomplicated that they have no permanent groups above the
level of the extended family," Marcus said.
...


The abstract is at


http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0505955102v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=raymond+kelly&searchid=1125792198328_473&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=pnas

Recent findings and analyses in evolutionary biology, archaeology, and ethnology provide
a favorable conjuncture for examining the evolution of lethal intergroup violence among
hominids during the 2.9-million-year Paleolithic time span. Here, I seek to identify and
investigate the main turning points in this evolutionary trajectory and to delineate the
periodization that follows from this inquiry.

The pdf isn't freely available yet.
.