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Sticks, Stones and Broken Bones: Neolithic Violence in a European Perspective" Anthropological Review, 2012; 75(2):137-144

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Sticks, Stones and Broken Bones: Neolithic Violence in a European Perspective PUBLISHED VERSION Wiesław Lorkiewicz and Elżbieta Żądzińska Comments on the book "Sticks, stones and broken bones: Neolithic violence in a European perspective" Anthropological Review, 2012; 75(2):137-144 © 2012 Polish Anthtropological Society. This content is Open Access. Published version available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10044-012-0013-3 PERMISSIONS http://degruyteropen.com/you/journal-author/copyright-and-license-statement/ http://degruyteropen.com/you/journal-author/repository-policy/ 18 May 2016 http://hdl.handle.net/2440/89409 Sticks, stones, and broken bones: Neolithic violence in a European perspective Wiesław Lorkiewicz and Elżbieta Żądzińska ANTHROPOLOGICAL REVIEW • Vol. 75 (2), 137–144 (2012) Comments on the book “Sticks, stones and broken bones: Neolithic violence in a European perspective” Wiesław Lorkiewicz and Elżbieta Żądzińska Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of­­ Łódź, Poland Sticks, stones, and broken bones: Neolithic violence in a European perspective Edited by Rick Schulting and Linda Fibiger, Oxford University Press, 2012, pp. 392, ISBN 978-0-19-95730-66 Introduction Skeletal injuries observed in human bone remains from archaeological sites have always aroused considerable inter- est due to the interpretational opportu- nities they offer. Among them, particu- larly spectacular are those which are indicative of wounds intentionally in- flicted by means of various weapons (or other implements used as weapons) as a consequence of interpersonal violence. Injuries of this type are found already in skeletons from the Middle Paleolithic (e.g., Wu et al. 2011), but it is difficult to interpret them in a conclusive manner, especially that features enabling distinc- Book Review: Received 04.12.2012; Accepted 21.12.2012 DOI: 10.2478/v10044-012-0013-3 © 2012 Polish Anthtropological Society Brought to you by | University of Adelaide Barr Smith Library Authenticated Download Date | 5/18/16 4:41 AM 138 Wiesław Lorkiewicz and Elżbieta Żądzińska tion between accidental and intentional (Teschler-Nicola et al. 1996) and Herx- (violent) injuries often require analy- heim, southern Germany (Orschiedt et sis of a larger number of observations al. 2003). Controversies around the in- rather than isolated cases. More skeletal terpretation of some of these finds and remains with signs of injuries are known the increasing amount of data, both as from the Mesolithic (Frayer 1997; Thor- a result of new discoveries and re-assess- pe 2003; Roksandic 2004a; Roksandic ment of available skeletons from differ- et al. 2006), which is usually associated ent parts of Europe, led to an attempt to with the greater sedentism and territo- review the existing state of knowledge riality of hunter-gatherer groups in that on violence in Neolithic Europe during period (Roksandic 2004b). Taking into a 2-day meeting held at the University consideration the impact of such factors of Oxford on 14–15 March 2008. The on the level of aggression between hu- main organizers of the conference were man communities, one could argue that Rick Schulting and Linda Fibiger from the most significant developments in the School of Archaeology, University of the evolution of human violent behavior Oxford. The meeting was supported by took place in the Neolithic. The estab- the Leverhulme Trust, the British Acad- lishment of a food-producing economy emy, the Pitt Rivers Museum, Archae- led to tensions between early agricul- opress, Oxford University Press, and tural communities due to competition the Meyerstein Fund of the School of for cultivable land and pastures, while Archaeology, University of Oxford. The wealth accumulated in the form of crops papers presented at the conference were and livestock gave rise to covetousness also the first contributions to the volume and temptation of easy gain of resources. “Sticks, stones, and broken bones: Ne- The Neolithic was also a key period in olithic violence in a European perspec- terms of transformation from the egal- tive” edited by Rick Schulting and Linda itarianism of hunters-gatherers to the Fibiger and published by Oxford Univer- social stratification of Bronze Age so- sity Press in 2012. Seventeen chapters cieties (clearly documented by archaeo- of this monograph, comprising almost logical evidence) and the rise of the first 400 pages, present studies on bone inju- states. Despite these facts, the view that ries observed in Neolithic skele tal series the real climate of collective violence dated to 7000–3000 BC (as well as in emerged during the Neolithic (Beyneix some Mesolithic and Bronze Age skele- 2007) has developed only gradually, tal remains) from 12 countries: Sweden, overcoming the previous stereotypical Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, belief about the peaceful nature of early Austria, Netherlands, France, Britain, agricultural communities (motivated by, Greece, Spain, and Portugal. Most of e.g., the lack of weaponry in that period). the chapters have been authored by In the 1980s and 1990s a decisive role anthropologists and bioarchaeologists in this shift of perspective was played known for their work on Neolithic bone by the discovery of collective graves material. Some of them are devoted to and assemblages of human skeletal re- leading archaeological sites discussed mains with evidence of injuries in Tal- in previous publications (e.g., Talheim, heim, Baden-Württemberg (Wahl and Asparn-Schletz and Herxheim), but König 1987), Asparn-Schletz, Austria supplemented with new elements of in- Brought to you by | University of Adelaide Barr Smith Library Authenticated Download Date | 5/18/16 4:41 AM Sticks, stones, and broken bones: Neolithic violence in a European perspective 139 terpretation and comparative analysis. death. The author explains this phenom- Unfortunately, not all chapters enable enon by changes in climate, and also in quantitative assessment of injuries. This technologies and subsistence – connect- in particular concerns very interesting ed with the final transition to agriculture. (given the variety of weapons used) and Poland is represented by skeletal se- spectacular injuries in numerous Neo- ries belonging to the Brześć Kujawski lithic skeletal series from France. group of the Lengyel Culture from the area of Brześć Kujawski and Osłonki in Short review of the book’s Kujawy. A series of 109 skeletons, ex- amined by Lorkiewicz, exhibits a typical content pattern of injuries (mostly depressed fractures of the cranium, more frequent Data from southern Scandinavia (the in males than in females), some of which island of Gotland), reported by Ahlström may be regarded as resulting from inter- and Molnar, concern the Pitted Ware personal violence. Of particular interest Culture, which was chronologically Neo- is the opportunity to relate the triple lithic, but Mesolithic in terms of mode of burial of individuals with peri-mortem subsistence (maritime hunting-gather- injuries of the skull to the archaeologi- ing). Among 109 skulls of adults, 12 re- cal record of destruction and fires in the vealed lesions of traumatic origin, most Osłonki settlement and to the probable often depressed fractures of the vault identification of the weapons with which bones. No injuries caused by projec- the injuries were inflicted (antler-beam tiles were found, even though bows and mattocks, typical of the Brześć Kujawski spears were certainly used by the PWC Group of the Lengyel Culture). This in- population, as both arrowheads and dicates a conflict between agricultural spearheads were found among artifacts communities, as in the case of Talheim. attributed to this culture. The authors Wahl and Trautmann present both conclude that their findings constitute previous and current findings concern- further evidence for the existence of vio- ing the mass grave at Talheim, southwest lence in human communities in all stages Germany from the late stage of the Lin- of their development. ear Pottery Culture (LBK), which was Data on 249 skeletons from the East discovered in 1983/84. This site, called Baltic region dated to a period from the by the authors “the pivotal find in con- Mesolithic to the Bronze Age (all avail- flict archaeology,” contains skeletons able skeletons from Lithuania and the of 34 individuals, probably comprising burial ground at Zvejnieki in Latvia) are the entire local community (population presented by Jankauskas. Most of the of a small hamlet) exterminated during injuries observed in that material are a single event (killed and buried at the interpreted as accidental, resulting from same time). This skeletal series consti- everyday life events. Generally, the ex- tutes the second largest (after Asparn/ amined series indicate a low incidence of Schletz) collection of lethal peri-mortem violence in the Mesolithic and Neolithic. injuries (multiple in some individuals). This situation apparently changed in the A detailed analysis of injuries and wound Bronze Age, as some skeletons from that patterns made it possible to reconstruct period show clear evidence of violent the event (attacks carried out from be- Brought to you by | University of Adelaide Barr Smith Library Authenticated Download Date | 5/18/16 4:41 AM 140 Wiesław Lorkiewicz and Elżbieta Żądzińska hind), identify the tools used (mainly flat events related to the collapse of the so- axes and other tools with a blunt edge), cioeconomic system at the end of the and thus indicate the likely attackers (an- LBK. However, in their study of skeletal other LBK group). The authors
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