{"product_id":"war-before-civilization-the-myth-of-the-peaceful-savage","title":"War Before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 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 Keeleys 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  Keeleys conclusions are bound to stir controversy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44946058018869,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195091124","price":130.66,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195091120.jpg?v=1769921394","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/war-before-civilization-the-myth-of-the-peaceful-savage","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}