“It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way.”
— “Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West” by Cormac McCarthy
An ancient skull showing signs of blunt force trauma, probably from a club. photo by Marta Mirazon Lahr
Archaeologists unearthed the fossilized bones of a family group of prehistoric hunter-gatherers who were massacred around 10,000 years ago near Lake Turkana, Kenya. Broken hands; evidence of blunt-force trauma; the marks of arrows on bone.
Researchers from Cambridge University’s Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies found the partial remains of 27 individuals, including at least eight women and six children.
Twelve skeletons were in a relatively complete state, and ten of these showed clear signs of a violent death: including extreme blunt-force trauma to crania and cheekbones, broken hands, knees and ribs, arrow lesions to the neck, and stone projectile tips lodged in the skull and thorax of two men.
Several of the skeletons were found face down; most had severe cranial fractures. Among the in situ skeletons, at least five showed “sharp-force trauma”, some suggestive of arrow wounds. Four were discovered in a position indicating their hands had probably been bound, including a woman in the last stages of pregnancy. Foetal bones were uncovered.
The bodies were not buried. Some had fallen into a lagoon that has long since dried; the bones preserved in sediment.
The findings suggest these hunter-gatherers, perhaps members of an extended family, were attacked and killed by a rival group of prehistoric foragers. Researchers believe it is the earliest scientifically-dated historical evidence of human conflict — an ancient precursor to what we call warfare.
Mankind is a killer ape and a killer angel. We in the civilized West delude ourselves into thinking that we should be evolved beyond that state, and are thus left bruised with numb surprise* at the savagery exhibited by ISIS and their like. Savagery that echoes the slaughter of a family of hunter-gatherers in ancient Africa in time out of mind.
But no matter how we wish to distance ourselves, today’s savages are not monsters; they are men. This is not to say, of course, that we must simply acquiesce to savagery. It does, however, enforce the bitter irony that a civilization must be willing to wage savage war to combat savagery. Just as a family of hunter-gatherers must be vigilant to protect themselves from human predators on the African Savannah.
That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way.
* Apologies to Mr. Mojo Risin’
deuce says
Forever and ever. Amen.
War is simply part of the human condition. As “nonsensical” as war is, the world, then or now, does NOT make sense without it. War is always in the equation. As Donovan said, “Violence is golden”. Human-on-human coercion through force has always been there. War is the ultimate expression of that.
Chimps, our closest genetic neighbors, wage war:
http://news.discovery.com/animals/zoo-animals/chimp-war-behavior.htm
David Drake, a ‘Nam vet who freely admits to lasting trauma, writes long and often about war. He has said, “Where Man goes, there you will find war.”
Finally, a quote from Robert E. Howard:
“When will the reign of blood cease?”
“Not as long as the race lasts.”
john maddox roberts says
Jane Goodall, at the end of her very long career of living with chimps in the wild, admitted that when she went to Tanzania (then Tanganyika) in 1960 to study chimps, she though that she would see a sort of Golden Age society, innocent and non-violent. The next 55 years disabused her of that notion. She wrote at the end that in her years in the forest she saw chimps perform every sort of human nastiness, repeatedly: war to extermination between two bands, rape, murder, cannibalism, infanticide, and one band led by an alpha female who was insane and murderous. Sound familiar? There was never a golden age and humans need strong motivation to behave decently.
JimC says
And successfully motivating decent behavior requires a full awareness of the truth of things. Some folks think I have a dark view of life. That’s not really true. For a few reasons that go way back, I have an acute sense of how wrong things can go in life, and a historian’s skepticism about the “improvability” of mankind. But rather than engendering a sense of futility, this motivates me to cleave strongly to beauty and nobility when I find it, and to do what I can where I can to promote those things — knowing they are fragile and must be nurtured and defended.
Craig Rullman says
Bingo.
Keith West says
Hmm..if you have a dark view of life, what does that make mine? I think your view isn’t any darker than mine.
JimC says
Certainly not. We are, after all, fellow Howardians.
Paul McNamee says
“It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.” – Robert E. Lee
Saddle Tramp says
Anyone who puts up quotes is someone after my own heart.
As a rule I seldom argue with genius especially this one:
” You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.” — Albert Einstein
Yes! Therein lies the rub.
The classic prisoners dillema.
Tarantino made good use of this in his most recent film and eighth offering.
Einstein had much more to say in regards to war and nationalism ( gone wrong ) as most are no doubt already aware.
My only conclusion is if you are going to engage in it you better damn well be the best at it. We can only hope a true moral objective is the ultimate goal. Rare indeed. War is never won, it is only ended.
It’s been years ( lots of ’em ) since I watched 2001 A Space Oddysey, but I distinctly recall the scene of what was a metaphorical example of the Cain and Abel myth and presumably the first murder. We have only increased the sophistication and means to do the same.
As everyone pointed out war marches on (innate to a strong degree or so it seems) one step ahead and one step behind, some bloody and some not. When to start and when to stop? The first usually too soon and the second not soon enough. Who blinks first? Who lays down their pride for the right reason. Who holds up their pride for the right reason? We have now brought ourselves to the brink of unthinkeable outcomes with all of the bristling armaments at the ready.
Yes Mother Nature displays some quite vicious examples of warfare and survival as it were. Perhaps this is my contention against veganism as the only true moral choice for sustenance.
In my humble opinion, the difference between mankind and the animal kingdom (for example) is that Mother Nature is in control. Mother Nature does not make mistakes. At least not that I would be willing to argue against. The scary thing in our warlike effort is that a human is behind it all. We know that can mean quite possibly an insatiable desire to conquer all for good or not. The Valley Of Tears. The inescapeable curse or so it seems.
Always lean to the positive though. The rest is a grinding stone to refine the coarseness of our baser instincts. A mystery.
Books upon books have been written on this so I shall stop now before I am accused of doing the same.
War!! What is it good for?
Tell me!!!
War is hell!!!
He would know…
deuce says
@ JMR: It’s kinds surprising about Goodall, since she was originally inspired to study primates by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Tarzan” novels. ERB was quite clear that he didn’t consider primates to be peaceful versions of humanity.
A chimp coup d’etat:
http://www.nomad-tanzania.com/blogs/greystoke-mahale/murder-in-mahale
https://vimeo.com/40444106
Wanton infanticide by female chimps:
https://www.academia.edu/3314186/Female-led_infanticide_in_wild_chimpanzees
lane batot says
Wow–no doubt this is MY kinda blog! You guys just keep coming up with stuff that forces me to wear my right index finger to a nub! I can relate to THIS discussion very personally! And assure you, firsthand, that you are all quite correct! I actually(long, long ago–1983 to be exact….) got the ENORMOUS privilege of getting to “work” with Jane Goodall at Gombe in Tanzania, and went on territory patrols and hunts(another of Jane’s discoveries of the formerly believed-to-be-mostly-vegetarian chimps was that they killed and ate MEAT every chance they got! Other monkeys, young bushbuck and bushpigs, and a host of smaller game….), although none actually culminated in any kills that I witnessed. The 2 months I was there, all the females were in estrous, and the male hunting/raiding parties were somewhat distracted with other things! I saw LOTS of mating behavior and rivalries, and can assure you humans have no monopolies on machivellian love affairs/competitions either! And this is exactly what Jane discovered over the decades–our closest living relatives in the Animal Kingdom were FAR closer to us(and we them!) than we ever imagined! “Warfare” of a sort exists THROUGHOUT the Animal World, and in largely social species like chimps, baboons(virtually ALL primates–the Bonobos perhaps being a bizarre exception–although if it wasn’t for the expanse of the Congo River, the larger, more violent chimp species would undoubtedly have already exterminated their close cousins long ago!), wolves, and lions, resembles our own behavior in an eye-opening and chilling way! In other words, we humans are NOT as “advanced” socially as we like to think we are!….to be cont……
JimC says
Knew this would hit you where you live…
lane batot says
…..It is interesting that Burrough’s did not mention chimpanzees AT ALL in his 24 Tarzan books, although inaccurate, dated versions of “Bolgani the Gorilla” appeared throughout(we’ve completely changed our views of gorillas since those days thanks to in depth field studies on them, too!)–this despite the continued popularity of the chimp character(always youngsters or small females in the role–adult male chimps are FAR too formidable for even Hollywood to handle!) “Cheetah” in all the mostly bad movies. Burroughs invented his own species–the “Mangani”, which were something like between chimps and gorillas. But as we learned more and more about them, chimps have ended up being amazingly like Burrough’s Mangani in behavior(prescient science fiction?)–there was even a large subspecies of chimp discovered fairly recently deep in the Congo called the “Bili Apes” that are often referred to as Mangani! Jane IS a big Burrough’s fan, and devoured all his “Tarzan” books as a young girl. In a recent conversation with her, she admitted to me that, upon rereading some of them recently, she had forgotten how VIOLENT those stories were!…….
lane batot says
…..but do keep in mind, despite the reality of the violence, chimps and other animals ALSO exhibit those qualities of compassion and gentleness and camaraderie that ignorant city folks think are man’s characteristics alone. Burroughs in his blatant anthropomorphism depicted animals in ways that were formerly pooh-poohed by strict, dogmatic scientists, but we are finding out(some of us–ahem!–were already quite aware by living closely with them!) were not so unrealistic after all. To me, if someone does not see that humans are driven by as basic instincts, often, as most animals are, is lacking in common sense! And either no close realistic experience with animals, or they are terribly BLIND to what is going on right before their eyes!……
deuce says
@ Lane: Cool story about Goodall!
I wasn’t trying to deny that altruism/kindness has always existed in human cultures. There’s plenty of evidence. I simply believe that it tends to exist on a continuum extending out from family/friends and often tapering off completely long before it gets to “the Others”/outgroups.
For those who think the whole “culture war regarding war” is anything new, check this out from Pinker’s excellent THE BLANK SLATE:
Turner and Sponsel had long been among Chagnon’s most vehement critics (and, not coincidentally, major sources for Tierney’s book, despite their professed shock at learning of its contents). They are open about their ideological agenda, which is to defend the doctrine of the Noble Savage. Sponsel wrote that he is committed to “the anthropology of peace” in order to promote a “more nonviolent and peaceful world,” which he believes is “latent in human nature.”49 He is opposed to a “Darwinian emphasis on violence and competition” and recently pronounced that “nonviolence and peace were likely the norm throughout most of human prehistory and that intrahuman killing was probably rare.”50 He even admits that much of his criticism of Chagnon comes from “an almost automatic reaction against any biological explanation of human behavior, the possibility of biological reductionism, and the associated political implications.”
—
The quote refers to utterly baseless attacks on the anthropologist, Napoleon Chagnon, by Turner and Sponsel. The ideological basis for the attack is obvious.
Ignoring/denying the element of violence in human nature will do nothing at all to make it go away.
JimC says
I don’t like it therefore it doesn’t exist is perhaps the definition of childishness.
deuce says
Here’s another great quote from THE BLANK SLATE:
And onto this battlefield strode an innocent E. O. Wilson [author of SOCIOBIOLOGY]. The ideas from evolutionary biology and behavioral genetics that became public in the 1970s could not have been more of an insult to those with the Utopian Vision. That vision was, after all, based on the Blank Slate (no permanent human nature), the Noble Savage (no selfish or evil instincts), and the Ghost in the Machine (an unfettered “we” that can choose better social arrangements). And here were scientists talking about selfish genes! And saying that adaptations are not for the good of the species but for the good of individuals and their kin (as if to vindicate Thatcher’s claim that “there is no such thing as society”). That people scrimp on altruism because it is vulnerable to cheaters. That in pre-state societies men go to war even when they are well fed, because status and women are permanent Darwinian incentives. That the moral sense is riddled with biases, including a tendency to self-deception. And that conflicts of genetic interest are built in to social animals and leave us in a state of permanent tragedy. It looked as if the scientists were saying to proponents of the Tragic Vision: You’re right, they’re wrong.
The Utopians, particularly those in the radical science movement, replied that current findings on human intelligence and motivation are irrelevant. They can tell us only about what we have achieved in today’s society, not what we might achieve in tomorrow’s. Since we know that social arrangements can change if we decide to change them, any scientist who speaks of constraints on human nature must want oppression and injustice to continue.
—
Yep, kill the messenger. Kindness and reasonableness in action.
JimC says
Yes, the irony that the behavior of the “utopians” is steeped in is profound. The meanest people I have ever encountered were “peace and love” lefties at UC Santa Cruz and at Berkeley. Those who aimed for a more perfect society, dontcha know. If you sought to debate any of their world view, you were regarded not only as wrong, but evil. A “fascist.” It was comical and disgusting at the same time. A precursor of the idiocy that pervades campuses all over the country today.
Lane Batot says
Well, what so many of these scientists and philosophers forget, is that humans AND animals are ALL individuals–it is very inaccurate and ignorant to try and place ANY species in broad, sweeping, NARROW categories–all evil or all good. All aggressive or altruistic. Though I tended to get along and liked almost all the chimps and baboons I hung out with, there were exceptions! Like FRODO! And I only knew him as a psychopathic JUVENILE bully! He was FAR WORSE–notorious even!– as an adult! Same with humans–it sure ain’t conveniant to go to the trouble to really get to know individuals to judge them fairly, but that is the ONLY accurate way. Incidentally, barbaric, savage and potentially dangerous as both chimps and baboons can be, I rather got along with them far better than I have most humans! One reason I love the Burrough’s tales is he rather came to the same conclusions!
Lane Batot says
…..and then of course, there is the debatable(?) theory that Cro-Magnon(anatomically modern humans) were largely responsible for the exterpation of the Neanderthals. I would find it hard to believe otherwise, myself! Basic common sense and knowledge of human behavior throughout history(and prehistory!) Even though it has been “proven” by DNA studies some crossbreeding was occurring too, and most people with Northern European bloodlines have some distant, distant Neanderthal in their ancestry! This would explain A LOT about me, personally,(ahem!)…….