For decades, the Jebel Sahaba cemetery in Sudan, dating back 13,000 years, held a grim title: the oldest evidence of large-scale warfare. However, a recent re-analysis of the bones by a team from France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) paints a more nuanced picture. Published in Scientific Reports, the findings suggest the site reflects repeated violent episodes, possibly fueled by climate change, rather than a single, decisive battle.
The original interpretation stemmed from the high number of injuries found on the buried individuals, with half caused by projectiles. However, a closer look by a team of anthropologists, archaeologists, and geochemists revealed a more intricate story.
The re-examination, conducted between 2013 and 2019, encompassed not only the 61 skeletons but also hundreds of associated stone tools and the entire burial complex (now submerged by Lake Nasser). Microscopic analysis played a crucial role in differentiating injuries from post-burial damage.
This meticulous approach yielded surprising results. Researchers identified nearly 100 new lesions, both healed and unhealed, some with embedded stone flakes. Additionally, 21 previously unexamined skeletons displayed injuries indicative of violence, bringing the total to 41 individuals. Significantly, 16 bore both healed and unhealed wounds, suggesting they endured violence on multiple occasions throughout their lives.
The indiscriminate targeting of men, women, and children, along with the presence of disturbed burials, further bolsters the theory of ongoing conflict. The analysis of projectiles also offered valuable insights. The majority of injuries stemmed from composite weapons like arrows or spears tipped with sharp stone blades. The design of these points, with varying blade orientations, suggests a deliberate intent to inflict maximum damage.
These findings dismantle the notion of Jebel Sahaba as a “disaster cemetery” resulting from a single, large-scale conflict. Instead, the evidence points towards a series of smaller raids or ambushes against these hunter-gatherer communities. The researchers propose that this pattern of violence coincided with a period of significant climatic shifts – the tail end of the last ice age and the onset of a more humid period in Africa.
The concentration of diverse cultural settlements within a limited area of the Nile Valley during this time suggests it may have served as a refuge for populations displaced by climate fluctuations. Competition for increasingly scarce resources likely fueled the conflicts documented at Jebel Sahaba.
This groundbreaking study compels a reevaluation of other prehistoric sites. By challenging the initial interpretation of Jebel Sahaba, researchers open the door to a more comprehensive understanding of violence in our deep past. The complex story revealed at Jebel Sahaba serves as a powerful reminder that the roots of human conflict may be intertwined with environmental challenges.
Source: CNRS