Luke Glowacki

Dr. Luke Glowacki, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at Boston University, discusses the origins of human warfare. He explores definitions of war, the use of animal models and archaeological evidence to study its origins, and the myths about ancestral populations and nomadic societies. The podcast explores the deep-rooter and shallow-rooter divide on war in hunter-gatherer societies, the costs and benefits of intergroup cooperation and aggression, maintaining peace through cultural institutions, and the role of key individuals in conflict and coalitions.

Luke Glowacki, a Boston University anthropology professor specializing in the evolution of war, dives into the ancient origins of warfare. He challenges the belief that peace was the default state of early humans, discussing the roles of hunter-gatherers and archaeological evidence. The conversation touches on the absence of war in ancient cave art and comparisons between humans and primates like chimpanzees and bonobos. Glowacki emphasizes understanding conflict's evolutionary roots to foster cooperation and peace in contemporary society.