Inter-group violence among early Holocene hunter-gatherers of West Turkana, Kenya

Nature. 2016 Jan 21;529(7586):394-8. doi: 10.1038/nature16477.

Abstract

The nature of inter-group relations among prehistoric hunter-gatherers remains disputed, with arguments in favour and against the existence of warfare before the development of sedentary societies. Here we report on a case of inter-group violence towards a group of hunter-gatherers from Nataruk, west of Lake Turkana, which during the late Pleistocene/early Holocene period extended about 30 km beyond its present-day shore. Ten of the twelve articulated skeletons found at Nataruk show evidence of having died violently at the edge of a lagoon, into which some of the bodies fell. The remains from Nataruk are unique, preserved by the particular conditions of the lagoon with no evidence of deliberate burial. They offer a rare glimpse into the life and death of past foraging people, and evidence that warfare was part of the repertoire of inter-group relations among prehistoric hunter-gatherers.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Archaeology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Group Processes*
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Kenya
  • Male
  • Skeleton
  • Skull / injuries
  • Violence / history*
  • Wounds and Injuries / history*