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Honour and revenge: how tribal warfare sheds light on modern violence

16 Oct 2012

Understanding tribal wars in the Amazon jungle sheds light on the instincts that drive modern wars - and on how culture influences the process, research suggests.

Native Brazilians from the tribes Assurini, Tapirajé, Kaiapó, Kapirapé, Rikbaktsa and Bororo-Boe. (Image: Licínio Miranda, Wikimedia Commons)

In a new study published in the research journal Evolution & Human Behaviour, anthropologists say violent conflict accounted for 30% of all deaths among Amazon tribes before their contact with Europeans.

'The same reasons - revenge, honour, territory and jealousy over women - that fuelled deadly conflicts in the Amazon continue to drive violence in today's world,' said University of Missouri anthropologist Robert Walker, the lead author. 'Humans' evolutionary history of violent conflict among rival groups goes back to our primate [ape] ancestors. Read the article.

Source: Quest

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