<p>How old is war? Does it stretch deep into human origins, or did warfare become common only as growing populations settled down? </p><p>In Part II of this conversation with Douglas P. Fry, we return to the long-running debate about the origins of war. </p><p>Fry revisits his argument that aggression is ancient, but war is not. I put that claim to the test, raising some of the strongest objections from archaeology and the study of modern hunter-gatherers. We discuss Jebel Sahaba, nomadic and settled foragers, food storage, marine resources, population growth, and the archaeological sequences through which warfare seems to emerge in different parts of the world.</p><p>Is war an ancient adaptation—or a more recent cultural development? And is the answer relevant to our modern quest for a more peaceful world?</p><p>Enjoy!</p><p><br></p><p><strong>FACT-CHECKING</strong></p><p>No errors have been detected in this conversation. If you notice one, please get in touch via Substack or the form below.</p><p><br><strong>LINKS</strong></p><p>Fry&#39;s 2026 book: <a href="https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/advanced-introduction-to-conflict-resolution-9781035323906.html?srsltid=AfmBOop4R1nmBFiTFWqhstP-Y61-Lur2z-hMudw6z4X5e86_AN5CrcOq">⁠<em>Advanced Introduction to Conflict Resolution</em>⁠</a></p><p>Support: ⁠⁠<a href="Patreon.com/OnHumans⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Patreon.com/OnHumans⁠⁠</a></p><p>Articles &amp; newsletter: ⁠⁠<a href="OnHumans.Substack.com⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">OnHumans.Substack.com⁠⁠</a></p><p>Get in touch: ⁠⁠<a href="https://forms.gle/h5wcmefuwvD6asos8%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://forms.gle/h5wcmefuwvD6asos8⁠⁠</a></p><p>Music credit: Aleksey Chistilin (Lexin_Music) via Pixabay.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>NAMES MENTIONED</strong></p><p>Douglas P. Fry | Luke Glowacki | Richard Wrangham | Brian Ferguson | Christopher Boehm | Richard B. Lee | Donald E. Brown</p><p><br></p><p><strong>ETHNIC GROUPS AND HISTORICAL REGIONS</strong></p><p>Northwestern Alaska | Valley of Oaxaca | Jebel Sahaba  | Monte Albán | Zapotec Empire | Calusa people | Batek people | Orang Asli | Juǀ’hoansi, !Kung | Mbuti </p><p><br></p><p><strong>KEY WORDS</strong></p><p>Origins of war | prehistory of war | history of warfare | causes of war | why humans go to war | anthropology of war | anthropology of peace | peace studies | conflict studies | war studies | peace and conflict studies | evolutionary anthropology | human evolution | human nature and war | hunter-gatherer warfare | hunter-gatherers | nomadic hunter-gatherers | mobile foragers | complex hunter-gatherers | prehistoric violence | interpersonal violence | coalitionary aggression | coalitionary killing | lethal aggression | human aggression | conflict resolution | restraint of aggression | archaeological evidence of war | archaeology of warfare | archaeological record | Pleistocene | Holocene | Neolithic warfare | origins of social complexity | sedentism | permanent settlements | food storage | population growth | population density | resource competition | resource intensification | marine resources | aquatic resources | Neolithic revolution | human universals | evolutionary psychology | chimpanzee warfare </p>