A couple of years ago, a study alluded to Neolithic farmers in Chile’s Atacama Desert engaging in violent battles over resources. Turn back the clock further, and a newer study points to ancient hunter-gatherers from the same region engaging in brutal interpersonal violence on a consistent basis. This evidence has been gleaned from researching skeletons, weaponry, and rock art from around 10,000 years ago, to ascertain that violence was a “consistent part of the lives of these ancient populations for many”.
Using a multifaceted methodology encompassing bio-archaeology, geoarchaeology, and socio-cultural investigations, a team led by Vivien Standen from the University of Tarapacá in Chile uncovered the harsh realities experienced by ancient human populations. This research has been published in the latest edition of the journal PLOS One . Incidentally, Standen also spearheaded the 2021 research on Neolithic violence in the Atacama.
Assessing the Violence in the Atacama Desert: Lethal and Non-Lethal Infliction of Pain
The research involved an in-depth examination of 288 adult remains spanning a time frame from 10,000 years ago to 1450 AD, with a particular focus on identifying physical indicators of interpersonal violence. Concurrently, the team conducted strontium isotope analyses (strontium isotope ratio in bones reflects the environment and dietary intake, helping define a person’s geographical origins) to determine whether these individuals belonged to local or non-local communities….
