_Unearthing_the_Brutality_of_Early_Human_Wars__Discoveries_from_the_Paleolithic_Era_
The First Extermination Wars in Human History: Evidence from the Paleolithic Period
The idea that humans were peaceful beings living in harmony with nature is challenged by archaeological findings that suggest warfare has been inherent in human nature since ancient times. This article discusses two notable archaeological discoveries that provide evidence of the first recorded wars and acts of extermination by human communities during the Paleolithic period.
The Nataruk Massacre in Africa
About 12 years ago, a group of international archaeologists made a shocking discovery in the area of Nataruk, on the shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya. This region, rich in Paleolithic remains, yielded the skeletons of 27 butchered and mutilated homo sapiens, believed to be victims of the first war in human history.
The evidence suggests that a thriving fishing settlement existed on the lake’s shores around 10,000 years ago. This community was brutally attacked by another group, possibly a rival tribe. The attackers killed men, women, and children, with a pregnant woman’s skull found crushed. It’s believed that the attackers were armed with stone maces and knives. The motive for the attack remains unknown.
Massacre and Cannibalism at Herxheim, Germany
In 2009, German archaeologists uncovered evidence of another gruesome massacre at a Neolithic site near Herxheim, Germany. A mass grave containing the remains of over 500 individuals indicated a brutal attack took place around 7000 years ago.
These people were part of a prosperous Neolithic civilization known as the Linear Ceramic culture. The attackers killed everyone, including infants and fetuses. Shockingly, there are also indications that some of the victims were eaten by the attackers. The motive for this brutal attack remains unknown, with theories ranging from looting to ritualistic human sacrifice.
These archaeological findings from Nataruk and Herxheim are considered the first documented instances of wars and acts of extermination in human history. They challenge the belief that warfare was a product of civilization and suggest that the seeds of war are deeply ingrained in human nature.
