History’s first war relics? These examples of shot were found at an excavation of the first known battle in history - a confrontation between Uruks and the defenders of the city of Hamoukar from the 4th millennium BCE. Despite the purpose of these fortifications, Jericho was ultimately abandoned following what archeologists believe was an invasion of some sort, presumably by an army of nomads or perhaps warriors from another city somewhere beyond the horizon. While some speculate that this barrier might have been erected to keep the community safe from raiders, others believe it was used to protect the town from floodwaters. Made up of roughly 70 igloo-shaped, mud-brick dwellings that all-together housed up to 1,000 people, the city itself was surrounded by a 15-foot high stone wall nearly four feet thick at its base. In fact, its very existence suggests that the first human societies organized themselves with defence in mind. The earliest evidence of prehistoric warfare comes to us from ancient Jericho.Ĭonsidered the first true ‘city’ in history, the settlement was established roughly 9000 BCE by the Natufians near the present-day West Bank. (Image source: WikiCommons) Early Defences The ancient pre-historic peoples built history’s first known fortifications. Yet, since such events predate the advent of writing by some 7,000 years, we have scant knowledge of these first fights, save for what archaeologists have been able to glean from the smallest fragments of information. These early contests were likely waged over resources, goods or land. In fact, experts believe that the first armed conflicts were fought more than 10,000 years ago by prehistoric city-states in present day Syria, Jordan and Iraq. WARFARE IS AS OLD AS CIVILIZATION ITSELF. “Early scribes from Mesopotamia were able to leave behind history’s first-known preserved accounts of war.” See another segment of this stone carving below. Of course there were conflicts prior to this date, but since these events predated writing, there are no contemporary accounts of them.
A Sumerian stone carving of the first recorded war in history, circa 2500 BCE.
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