Download or read book The Great Paleolithic War written by David J. Meltzer and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2015-11-03 with total page 691 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the discovery in Europe in the late 1850s that humanity had roots predating known history and reaching deep into the Pleistocene era, scientists wondered whether North American prehistory might be just as ancient. And why not? The geological strata seemed exactly analogous between America and Europe, which would lead one to believe that North American humanity ought to be as old as the European variety. This idea set off an eager race for evidence of the people who might have occupied North America during the Ice Age—a long, and, as it turned out, bitter and controversial search. In The Great Paleolithic War, David J. Meltzer tells the story of a scientific quest that set off one of the longest-running feuds in the history of American anthropology, one so vicious at times that anthropologists were deliberately frightened away from investigating potential sites. Through his book, we come to understand how and why this controversy developed and stubbornly persisted for as long as it did; and how, in the process, it revolutionized American archaeology.
Download or read book The Great Paleolithic War written by David J. Meltzer and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2015-11-03 with total page 691 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Only a few years after the discovery in Europe in the late 1850s that humanity had roots predating history and the Biblical chronicles, and reaching deep into the Pleistocene, came the suggestion that North American prehistory might be just as old. And why not? There seemed to be an "exact synchronism [of geological strata] between Europe and America," and so by extension there ought to be a "parallelism as to the antiquity of man." That triggered an eager search for traces of the people who may have occupied North America in the recesses of the Ice Age. "The Great Paleolithic War "is the history of the longstanding and bitter dispute in North America over whether people had arrived here in Ice Age times.
Download or read book The Origins Of War written by Arther Ferrill and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-05-04 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When did war begin? Standard military accounts tend to start with the Graeco-Persian wars, laying undue emphasis on the preeminence of Greek heavy infantry. But, as this strikingly original and entertaining book shows, the origins of war can be traced back not to the Iron Age, or even to the Bronze Age, but to the emergence of settled life itself nearly 10,000 years ago. The military revolution that occurred then?the invention of major new weapons, the massive fortifications, the creation of strategy and tactics?ultimately gave rise to the great war machines of ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Persia that dominated the Near East until the time of Alexander the Great.It is Arther Ferrill's thesis that in the period before Alexander there were two independent lines of military development?a Near Eastern one culminating in the expert integration of cavalry, skirmishers, and light infantry and a Greek one based on heavy infantry. When Philip and Alexander blended the two traditions in their crack Macedonian army, the result was a style of warfare that continued, despite technological changes, down to Napoleon.This newly revised edition presents detailed and copiously illustrated accounts of all the major battles on land and sea up to the fourth century b.c., analyzes weapons from the sling to the catapult, and discusses ancient strategy and tactics, making this a book for armchair historians everywhere.
Download or read book Effects of War on Society written by Giorgio Ausenda and published by Boydell Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conference 'Effects of War on Society' was the first in a series aimed at placing in perspective the sociocultural variables that make outbreaks of war probable, and identifying for policy-makers steps that can be taken to control these variables. The papers focus on analysis of historical thinking on war, anthropological analysis of the effects of war on societies at different levels of sociocultural integration, the expansion and decline of multi-ethnic states, and the wider effects of war -- political, economic and moral. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
Download or read book Mobile Museums written by Felix Driver and published by UCL Press. This book was released on 2021-04-19 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mobile Museums presents an argument for the importance of circulation in the study of museum collections, past and present. It brings together an impressive array of international scholars and curators from a wide variety of disciplines – including the history of science, museum anthropology and postcolonial history - to consider the mobility of collections. The book combines historical perspectives on the circulation of museum objects in the past with contemporary accounts of their re-mobilisation, notably in the context of Indigenous community engagement. Contributors seek to explore processes of circulation historically in order to re-examine, inform and unsettle common assumptions about the way museum collections have evolved over time and through space. By foregrounding questions of circulation, the chapters in Mobile Museums collectively represent a fundamental shift in the understanding of the history and future uses of museum collections. The book addresses a variety of different types of collection, including the botanical, the ethnographic, the economic and the archaeological. Its perspective is truly global, with case studies drawn from South America, West Africa, Oceania, Australia, the United States, Europe and the UK. Mobile Museums helps us to understand why the mobility of museum collections was a fundamental aspect of their history and why it continues to matter today. Praise for Mobile Museums 'This book advances a paradigm shift in studies of museums and collections. A distinguished group of contributors reveal that collections are not dead assemblages. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries were marked by vigorous international traffic in ethnography and natural history specimens that tell us much about colonialism, travel and the history of knowledge – and have implications for the remobilisation of museums in the future.’ – Nicholas Thomas, University of Cambridge 'The first major work to examine the implications and consequences of the migration of materials from one scientific or cultural milieu to another, it highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of collections and offers insights into their potential for future re-mobilisation.' – Arthur MacGregor
Download or read book War Before Civilization written by Lawrence H. Keeley and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1997-12-18 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The myth of the peace-loving "noble savage" is persistent and pernicious. Indeed, for the last fifty years, most popular and scholarly works have agreed that prehistoric warfare was rare, harmless, unimportant, and, like smallpox, a disease of civilized societies alone. Prehistoric warfare, according to this view, was little more than a ritualized game, where casualties were limited and the effects of aggression relatively mild. Lawrence Keeley's groundbreaking War Before Civilization offers a devastating rebuttal to such comfortable myths and debunks the notion that warfare was introduced to primitive societies through contact with civilization (an idea he denounces as "the pacification of the past"). Building on much fascinating archeological and historical research and offering an astute comparison of warfare in civilized and prehistoric societies, from modern European states to the Plains Indians of North America, War Before Civilization convincingly demonstrates that prehistoric warfare was in fact more deadly, more frequent, and more ruthless than modern war. To support this point, Keeley provides a wide-ranging look at warfare and brutality in the prehistoric world. He reveals, for instance, that prehistorical tactics favoring raids and ambushes, as opposed to formal battles, often yielded a high death-rate; that adult males falling into the hands of their enemies were almost universally killed; and that surprise raids seldom spared even women and children. Keeley cites evidence of ancient massacres in many areas of the world, including the discovery in South Dakota of a prehistoric mass grave containing the remains of over 500 scalped and mutilated men, women, and children (a slaughter that took place a century and a half before the arrival of Columbus). In addition, Keeley surveys the prevalence of looting, destruction, and trophy-taking in all kinds of warfare and again finds little moral distinction between ancient warriors and civilized armies. Finally, and perhaps most controversially, he examines the evidence of cannibalism among some preliterate peoples. Keeley is a seasoned writer and his book is packed with vivid, eye-opening details (for instance, that the homicide rate of prehistoric Illinois villagers may have exceeded that of the modern United States by some 70 times). But he also goes beyond grisly facts to address the larger moral and philosophical issues raised by his work. What are the causes of war? Are human beings inherently violent? How can we ensure peace in our own time? Challenging some of our most dearly held beliefs, Keeley's conclusions are bound to stir controversy.
Download or read book How War Began written by Keith F. Otterbein and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have humans always fought and killed each other, or did they peacefully coexist until organized states developed? Is war an expression of human nature or an artifact of civilization? Questions about the origins and inherent motivations of warfare have long engaged philosophers, ethicists, and anthropologists as they speculate on the nature of human existence. In How War Began, author Keith F. Otterbein draws on primate behavior research, archaeological research, and data gathered from the Human Relations Area Files to argue for two separate origins. He identifies two types of military organization: one that developed two million years ago at the dawn of humankind, wherever groups of hunters met, and a second that developed some five thousand years ago, in four identifiable regions, when the first states arose and proceeded to embark upon military conquests. In careful detail, Otterbein marshals evidence for his case that warfare was possible and likely among early Homo sapiens. He argues from comparison with other primates, from Paleolithic rock art depicting wounded humans, and from rare skeletal remains embedded with weapon points to conclude that warfare existed and reached a peak in big game hunting societies. As the big game disappeared, so did warfare--only to reemerge once agricultural societies achieved a degree of political complexity that allowed the development of professional military organizations. Otterbein concludes his survey with an analysis of how despotism in both ancient and modern states spawns warfare. A definitive resource for anthropologists, social scientists, and historians, How War Began is written for all who areinterested in warfare, whether they be military buffs or those seeking to understand the past and the present of humankind. --Publlisher.
Download or read book The Archaeology of War written by Archaeology Magazine and published by Red Brick Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of warfare from Paleolithic times to today draws on new discoveries to evaluate the key impact of war on civilian societies, recounting specific past events while citing historical developments in the areas of military strategy and technology.
Download or read book The Paleolithic Revolution written by Paula Johanson and published by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. This book was released on 2016-07-15 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Archaeologists have found evidence that as humans entered what we now refer to as the Upper Paleolithic Era, they started using a whole new toolset. The evidence suggests that major behavioral shifts also occurred. For example, humans started making arresting cave paintings and carving statuettes. Scholars refer to these changes as the Upper Paleolithic Revolution. Readers will learn how archaeologists use evidence to piece together what life was like during the Upper Paleolithic Era. Theories about the origins and development of language are also discussed, as are new discoveries about archaic human admixture with modern humans.
Download or read book The Origins of War written by Arther Ferrill and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 1985-01-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When did war begin? Archaeologist and historians have in the past been curiously reluctant to study the early history of organized warfare. Standard military accounts tend to start with the Graeco-Persian wars and to lay undue emphasis on the pre-eminence of Greek heavy infantry. But, as this strikingly original and entertaining book shows, the origins of war can be traced back, not to the Iron Age, or even to the Bronze Age, but to the emergence of settled life itself nearly 10,000 years ago. The military revolution that occurred at that time -the major new weapons, the massive fortifications, the creation of strategy and tactics -ultimately gave rise to the great war of machines of ancient Egypt, Assyria and Persia which dominated the Near East to the time of Alexander the Great. It is Professor Ferrill's thesis that in the period before Alexander there were two independent lines of military development, a Near Eastern one culminating in the expert integration of cavalry, skirmishers and light infantry, and a Greek one based on heavy infantry. When Philip and Alexander blended the two traditions in their crack Macedonian army, the result was a style of warfare that continued, despite technological changes, down to Napoleon. To prove his point, as a tailpiece Professor Ferril recreates the battle of Waterloo as if Alexander were in Napoleon's shoes, and concludes that it would have been a "near-run thing." Complete with detailed and copiously illustrated account of all the major battles on land and sea up to the fourth century BC, analysis of weapons from the sling to the catapult, and discussion of ancient strategy and tactics, this is a book for armchair historians everywhere.--Dust jacket flap.
Download or read book Philadelphia and the Development of Americanist Archaeology written by Don D. Fowler and published by University of Alabama Press. This book was released on 2003-09-15 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ContributorsLawrence E. AtenElin C. DanienDon D. FowlerAlice B. KehoeFrances Joan MathienJerald T. MilanichRobert L. SchuylerSteven ConnRegna DarnellCurtis M. HinsleyEleanor M. KingDavid J. MeltzerJeremy A. SabloffDavid R. Wilcox
Download or read book How War Began written by Keith F. Otterbein and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2004-11-10 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have humans always fought and killed each other, or did they peacefully coexist until states developed? Is war an expression of human nature or an artifact of civilization? Questions about the origin and inherent motivations of warfare have long engaged philosophers, ethicists, anthropologists as they speculate on the nature of human existence. In How War Began, author Keith F. Otterbein draws on primate behavior research, archaeological research, data gathered from the Human Relations Area Files, and a career spent in research and reflection on war to argue for two separate origins. He identifies two types of military organization: one which developed two million years ago at the dawn of humankind, wherever groups of hunters met, and a second which developed some five thousand years ago, in four identifiable regions, when the first states arose and proceeded to embark upon military conquests. In carefully selected detail, Otterbein marshals the evidence for his case that warfare was possible and likely among early Homo sapiens. He argues from analogy with other primates, from Paleolithic rock art depicting wounded humans, and from rare skeletal remains with embedded weapon points to conclude that warfare existed and reached a peak in big game hunting societies. As the big game disappeared, so did warfare—only to reemerge once agricultural societies achieved a degree of political complexity that allowed the development of professional military organizations. Otterbein concludes his survey with an analysis of how despotism in both ancient and modern states spawns warfare. A definitive resource for anthropologists, social scientists and historians, How War Began is written for all who are interested in warfare and individuals who seek to understand the past and the present of humankind.
Download or read book The Nature of Paleolithic Art written by R. Dale Guthrie and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publisher Description
Download or read book The Origins of War written by Jean Guilaine and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-15 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stretching across continents and centuries, The Origins of War: Violence in Prehistory provides a fascinating examination of executions, torture, ritual sacrifices, and other acts of violence committed in the prehistoric world. Written as an accessible guide to the nature of life in prehistory and to the underpinnings of human violence. Combines symbolic interpretations of archaeological remains with a medical understanding of violent acts. Written by an eminent prehistorian and a respected medical doctor.
Download or read book Visions of War written by David D. Perlmutter and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 1999-11-29 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores and analyzes the 13,000-year legacy of pictures of war from various cultures over the centuries, from Stone Age cave paintings to the instantaneous images of the Gulf War. 41 illustrations.
Download or read book Ice Ages written by Allan Mazur and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-02-10 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What causes Ice Ages? How did we learn about them? What were their affects on the social history of humanity? Allan Mazur's book tells the appealing history of the scientific 'discovery' of Ice Ages. How we learned that much of the Earth was repeatedly covered by huge ice sheets, why that occurred, and how the waning of the last Ice Age paved the way for agrarian civilization and, ultimately, our present social structures. The book discusses implications for the current 'controversies' over anthropogenic climate change, public understanding of science, and (lack of) 'trust in experts'. In parallel to the history and science of Ice Ages, sociologist Mazur highlights why this is especially relevant right now for humanity. Ice Ages: Their Social and Natural History is an engrossing combination of natural science and social history: glaciology and sociology writ large.
Download or read book First Peoples in a New World written by David J. Meltzer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-10-07 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 15,000 years ago, a band of hunter-gatherers became the first people to set foot in the Americas. They soon found themselves in a world rich in plants and animals, but also a world still shivering itself out of the coldest depths of the Ice Age. The movement of those first Americans was one of the greatest journeys undertaken by ancient peoples. In this book, David Meltzer explores the world of Ice Age Americans, highlighting genetic, archaeological, and geological evidence that has revolutionized our understanding of their origins, antiquity, and adaptation to climate and environmental change. This fully updated edition integrates the most recent scientific discoveries, including the ancient genome revolution and human evolutionary and population history. Written for a broad audience, the book can serve as the primary text in courses on North American Archaeology, Ice Age Environments, and Human evolution and prehistory.
