Lethal Treachery and the Imbalance of Power in Warfare and Feuding

Fight the power: Lanchester's laws of combat in human evolution

“…By ganging together, groups of individuals are able to ambush, pursue, and kill rivals at little cost to themselves (see also Keeley, 1996;Wadley, 2003;Wrangham & Wilson, 2004). In various forms of conflict, this tendency has continued into modern times (Collins, 2008).…”

Settlement fortification in village and ‘tribal’ society: Evidence from contact-era New Guinea

“…The most common forms of lethal violence were treachery (Wadley, 2003) and ambush-small-scale, surprise assaults on residences by night or at dawn or daytime attacks on people out and about their subsistence or social routines. In parts of the highlands and among canoe-borne head-hunters in the lowlands, large-scale raids also occurred, sometimes mobilizing hundreds of warriors in devastating, surprise attacks.…”