The emergence of war in human societies

The advent of warrior societies is a crucial moment in human history, and the study of such a topical moment represents a challenge for both anthropological archaeology and social sciences at large. These new societies created their own myths and patterns of social behaviour, placing a specific human actor at their center: the warrior. Bronze age strongholds, colonies and open mines (among many other possible examples) are visible traces, well documented in the archeaological record, of the deep and pervasive social, economic and technological changes brought by war to human societies. War is indeed one of the most peculiar human behaviours. But how did the concept and practice of war emerged in human culture and why did it became central in Bronze age warrior societies? These broad and far-fetching questions are addressed through a multidisciplinary approach, including theories and empirical findings from political philosophy, archaeology, history, ethology and political science. The proposed argument merges material and socio-cultural analysis, in order to open new venues to the understanding of the emergence of war as a human practice, the relationship between war and society, and their mutual influence. By integrating different disciplines and methods, the paper aims to open new grounds and allow for fresh hypothesis about birth, development and impact of war on human society.