Stable Isotope Perspectives on Hunter-Gatherer Violence: Who's Fighting Whom?

Eerkens, Jelmer W.; Bartelink, Eric J.; Gardner, Karen; Carlson, Traci L.

doi:10.4324/9781315415970-16

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This result suggests that the encounter leading the burial of these seven males away from their home was inter‐, and not intra‐, village in nature. In this respect, the results mimic isotopic data from CA‐YOL‐117 and CA‐SCL‐38 (Gardner, unpublished data; Eerkens et al, ) where males from mass graves also show distinctly non‐local bone isotopic signatures, and are interpreted as victims of violent events. Indeed, similar violent events involving mass graves and/or trophy‐taking are known from many other examples in the archaeological record of Central California (Andrushko et al, ; Bartelink et al, ; Schwitalla et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Such fissioning, then, brought may have brought groups of people into conflict. We hypothesize that the mass burial at CA‐ALA‐554, and perhaps others previously reported (Gardner, 2013; Eerkens et al, ), may have been a byproduct of such territorial expansion.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

“…Other mass burial contexts from the lower Sacramento Valley and the south San Francisco Bay Area attest to similar patterns of intragroup violence. There, mass burials showing evidence of violent death have isotopic signatures indicating they were also nonlocal to the area in which they died, and came from areas that are thought to have hosted higher population densities (e.g., Gardner, 2013; Monroe et al, ; Eerkens et al, ). Taking this hypothetical reconstruction one step further, the genetic data are particularly interesting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ancient hunter‐gatherers of California have played an important part in this shift in thinking (Walker, ; Jurmain, ; Jurmain and Bellifemine, ; Lambert, ; Andrushko et al, ; Jurmain et al, ; Bartelink et al, ; Eerkens et al, ; Schwitalla et al, ). Osteological studies show that violence often played a role in mortality.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Isotopic and genetic analyses of a mass grave in centralCalifornia: Implications for precontact hunter‐gatherer warfare

Eerkens

Carlson

Malhi

et al. 2015

American J Phys Anthropol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: Analysis of a mass burial of seven males at CA-ALA-554, a prehistoric site in the Amador Valley, CA, was undertaken to determine if the individuals were "locals" or "non-locals," and how they were genetically related to one another.Methods: The study includes osteological, genetic (mtDNA), and stable (C, N, O, S) and radiogenic (Sr) isotope analyses of bone and tooth (first and third molars) samples.Results: Isotopes in first molars, third molars, and bone show they spent the majority of their lives living together. They are not locals to the Amador Valley, but were recently living to the east in the San Joaquin Valley, suggesting intergroup warfare as the cause of death. The men were not maternally related, but represent at least four different matrilines. The men also changed residence as a group between age 16 and adult years.Conclusions: Isotope data suggest intergroup warfare accounts for the mass burial. Genetic data suggest the raiding party included sets of unrelated men, perhaps from different households. Generalizing from this case and others like it, we hypothesize that competition over territory was a major factor behind ancient warfare in Central California. We present a testable model of demographic expansion, wherein villages in high-population-density areas frequently fissioned, with groups of individuals moving to lower-population-density areas to establish new villages. This model is consistent with previous models of linguistic expansion. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:116-125, 2016. V C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.A romanticized interpretation often depicts huntergatherers as peaceful peoples with, at most, very low rates of interpersonal violence when compared with more complex and state-level societies. Recent archaeological and anthropological research has challenged these notions (e.g., Walker, 1989;Keeley, 1996;LeBlanc, 1999;Lambert, 2002;Arkush and Allen, 2006; Allen, 2012;Jones and Allen, 2014). These studies suggest that the level of organization in warfare was often lower among hunter-gatherers, but that per-capita rates of non-lethal violence and homicide were often just as high (but see Fry, 2007 andFry andS€ oderberg, 2013 for an alternate perspective).The ancient hunter-gatherers of California have played an important part in this shift in thinking (Walker, 1989;Jurmain, 1991Jurmain, , 2001Jurmain and Bellifemine, 1997;Lambert, 1997Lambert, , 2007Andrushko et al., 2005Andrushko et al., , 2010Jurmain et al., 2009;Bartelink et al., 2013; Eerkens et al., 2014a,b;Schwitalla et al., 2014). Osteological studies show that violence often played a role in mortality. A recent compilation and survey of osteological data (Schwitalla et al., 2014) shows that sharp-force trauma appears in over 7% and blunt-force in over 4% of individuals

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Isotopic and genetic analyses of a mass grave in centralCalifornia: Implications for precontact hunter‐gatherer warfare

Eerkens

Carlson

Malhi

et al. 2015

American J Phys Anthropol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The picture is complicated because the Plains Miwoks, who were settled northeast of the Ryan Mound populations, may also have been descendants of the Meganos. Regardless of the timing of the new Ryan Mound users, intrusions can lead to out‐group fighting (see Eerkens, Bartelink, Gardner, & Carlson, ); and, Jurmain et al () note an increase in trauma frequency after AD 500 at the Ryan Mound, which was coupled with a change in mortuary patterns. These changes could have occurred due to an early intrusion, which has made the early period different from later periods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological distance at the Ryan Mound site

Weiss

2018

American J Phys Anthropol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study illustrates the importance of testing for biological continuity. Nonmetric studies provide a way to examine relationships within a sample to determine biological continuity. For the Ryan Mound, new populations may have moved into the region early on as part of the Meganos intrusion, or new populations may have moved into the region later, between AD 1500 and AD 1800. Comparative data from nearby sites further support the Meganos intrusion theory.

show abstract

Isotope Research in Island and Coastal Archaeology

Kinaston,

Evans,

Laffoon

et al. 2024

The Oxford Handbook of Island and Coastal Archaeology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This chapter explores the intricate challenges of interpreting isotopic data for paleodiet and paleomobility studies in island and coastal regions. Isotope analyses have become indispensable for unraveling past lifeways, ranging from human diet and mobility to animal husbandry and subsistence practices. Notably, dietary studies extend beyond mere reconstructions, probing into broader biosocial, cultural, and political aspects of the past. In this chapter, the authors bring together global archaeological isotope specialists to present regional overviews and address the complexities associated with interpreting isotope data in island and coastal regions. They hope this chapter serves as a valuable resource for researchers navigating similar environments and fosters an enhanced understanding of isotope science within the context of broader (bio)archaeological investigations.

show abstract

Stable Isotope Perspectives on Hunter-Gatherer Violence: Who's Fighting Whom?

Cited by 4 publications

References 31 publications

Isotopic and genetic analyses of a mass grave in centralCalifornia: Implications for precontact hunter‐gatherer warfare

Isotopic and genetic analyses of a mass grave in centralCalifornia: Implications for precontact hunter‐gatherer warfare

Biological distance at the Ryan Mound site

Isotope Research in Island and Coastal Archaeology

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About