Evidences of Violence in the Neolithic Period in the North East of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Evidence of physical violence is rare and the fact that many times we do not know whether they are voluntary acts or accidents could still be discussed. Regarding possible structural violence at that time, the search for evidence of social asymmetries leads us for now to safely say that there is an imbalance in the distribution of grave goods between certain groups of individuals, that a differential distribution of activities may have existed, and that a social activity appears overvalued at that time: hunting. Today we do not know the social implications and impact of these findings on the concemed population. Do these inequalities imply a hierarchical society, and therefore structural violence? Who would be the actors and the victims of such violence? Is it based on sexual asymmetry, or on other criteria such as the age of individuals, their role in society, or any other? The result of this research will shed light on these issues.The project we are part of: "Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias" (HAR2011-23 149).Peer reviewe