Violence has been a constant in the history of mankind, to the point that, in the fourth century BC, the Greek philosopher Plato considered the concept of peace as an exceptional circumstance in the violent normality. This violence embraced all aspects of society and daily life, eventually manifesting itself in serious disputes and even war. There was also violence linked to rites and beliefs that was manifested in the form of human sacrifices. In addition to weapons, the archaeological record has preserved abundant evidence of violent acts, including complete bodies, body parts and skeletons of victims with obvious traces of wounds and injuries.
War has been one of the great technological driving forces over time. Weapons are among the most common items found at archaeological sites, although it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish a weapon of war from a hunting implement or a simple prestige symbol.
