Violent Interactions in the Mesolithic : Evidence and meaning

It has been said of the Mesolithic that this period heralded an increase in incidents of violence and warfare.

These nine papers aim to evaluate whether such a statement holds any credence through a series of wide-ranging case studes: Portugal, Switzerland, the Ukraine, Uruguay, Serbia and Romania, Morocco and China.

The first three chapters look at the question more generally and assess various forensic and osteological methods of recognising and interpreting violence.

The contributors look at how organised violence amd warefare are recognised in the Mesolithic, and questions whether contact with more sedentary farming communities was a catalyst or cause of violence during this time.