The Horrifying Archaeology Of The First Wars

I want to show you this truly incredible prehistoric painting. This is a a prehistoric battle scene. There's no other way to say it. It's obviously a genuine battle.

At least 29 people in two sides launching arrow after arrow at each other. It's such a dramatic scene. You can you can so easily see the energy in it. Their legs outstretched as they leap into combat.

Someone up here leaping backwards, firing their bow. It's dramatic. This was probably the most dramatic day of their entire lives. It's from Les Dog in the Spanish region of Castillion on Spain's Mediterranean coast.

A beautiful region, rolling hills, picturesque villages. Definitely a bit Scorchio too, probably. [music] >> Scorchio >> looks absolutely roasting. They were painted under the overhang of this rock shelter high above the valley floor.

Today they're practically invisible after being, you know, [music] exposed to the elements for thousands of years. Fortunately, we live at the perfect time. They haven't quite faded. And we've also invented the camera and scanning technology to really bring out this forgotten battle, bring out all the details.

This painting dates to the Iberian Neolithic period. So about 8,000 years ago to 4 5,000 years ago, something like that. A time of huge societal change. Farming had been introduced.

Now that people were more tied to the land, other things started happening like huge communal monuments were being built, some to house your family, others [music] to track the movements of the stars and and provide a stage for all your rituals and beliefs. And if this artwork is anything to go by, the first wars, true wars were being waged. I know war might feel like a bit of a clickbait term because, you know, it's more than just a scuffle, right? A kathuffle.

It's it implies organization. There's ideological motives behind it. Things like that. It's it's it's organized, isn't it?

But in this region of Spain at this time, I believe we absolutely have evidence of that. Today, we're going to look at all of that from the paintings, [music] uh, the preserved remains of bows, the aftermath of these battles, and what it says about society at this time. It's truly the evidence here is like nowhere else in the world. I think YouTube moderators, of course, no graphic footage will be shown.

This is all educational. All ...