In the beginning...there was Peace

Caral might be the oldest city in the Americas, a "mother-city" that was at the foundation of civilization itself in this part of the world. Its ruins are in modern-day Peru and date back to over 2600 B.C. I was watching PBS last night, and the story of the city is fascinating enough. But what struck me as so hopeful was this:

The city had no walls, no weapons, no battlements, no mutilated bodies. No war!

For years, the prevailing theory of why cities, and thus civilization, began, was that they resulted from fear of warfare and violence: People gathered together to fight and defend. People today then make the mental leap to: humanity is inherently violent, always has been, always will be.

Bunk! The existence of Caral strongly suggests that this is not true! Further, there is evidence that Caral existed for 1000 years without war! This would simply not be possible if humans were inherently violent. Caral shows us what was once possible, and not only possible, but foundational to the beginnings of civilization. (Riane Eisler writes along very similar lines in her book The Chalice and the Blade).

In the beginning, there was peace! So let's get back to our roots, fellow humans!


Click here to watch the entire PBS/BBC show on YouTube