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Ancient Peru: Sacrifice ritual, not violence
11 Nov
Summary
- Ancient Peruvian societies rare violence despite climate stress.
- Skeletal analysis revealed minimal interpersonal violence.
- Climate stress doesn't inevitably lead to societal violence.
Ancient societies in Peru's Lambayeque Valley faced significant challenges from El Niño events, which caused flooding in an otherwise arid region. While evidence suggests large-scale human sacrifices occurred, a new study reveals that everyday violence was remarkably rare.
The research analyzed 1,633 skeletal remains from over 3,000 years ago, finding only 25 instances of interpersonal violence compared to 77 cases of accidental trauma. This finding challenges the assumption that climate stress directly fuels widespread societal violence.
These insights offer a crucial perspective on how human communities adapt to environmental upheaval. The findings indicate that societies can develop creative responses to climate change without resorting to increased violence, suggesting that conflict is not a predetermined outcome.
