Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that warfare in ancient times is understood by records of civilizations, which often exaggerate their wins and accomplishments for purposes of bolstering an ancient civilization's perception of their king or leader. The writer discusses that as time passes, and more information is studied and compared against the still emerging body of archeological data, it is possible to better understand the state of warfare in ancient civilizations. The extent to which warfare was waged in ancient times continues to be debated, but the historical and archeological evidence has begun to reveal that when war did occur, it was on a scale that often times completely altered or transformed the civilization in which it occurred. The writer maintains that it would be fair to say that mankind's propensity for waging war is one that can be traced to the ancient tribes of every civilization on earth. It might also be surmised, especially given the role of religious deities and pagan beliefs, that the impetus to make war arose out of superstition as much as it did out of the need to offset nature with resources.

Outline:
Introduction
Ancient Egypt
The Mesoamerica Ancient Civilizations
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Even with this information, there remain volumes of unanswered questions, the answers to which can only be speculated about at this time. While the written and archeological data of some civilizations, such as the Egyptians, have left us with a wealth of information, it still must be translated and taken into consideration as to the goals the ancients themselves had in the writings. As has been previously noted here, the ancient Egyptians had a tendency to exaggerate war wins for the benefit of the powerful.
"An examination of a ancient civilizations where the writings and archeological data are not as voluminous as ancient Egypt or Rome, means that much of what is concluded form the artifacts is based on historians' and archeologists' experiences with other ancient civilizations, like Egypt, Greece, and Rome."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Freeman, Charles. Egypt, Greece, and Rome: Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Book on-line. Available from Questia, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=35516993. Internet. Accessed 26 August 2008.
• Gabriel, Richard A., and Karen S. Metz. From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1991. Book on-line. Available from Questia, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24390253. Internet. Accessed 26 August 2008.
• Hertzler, Joyce O. The Social Thought of the Ancient Civilizations. 1st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1936. Book on-line. Available from Questia, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=62057071. Internet. Accessed 26 August 2008.
• Lamberg-Karlovsky, C. C., and Jeremy A. Sabloff. The Rise and Fall of Civilizations: Modern Archaeological Approaches to Ancient Cultures. Menlo Park, CA: Cummings Publishing, 1974. Book on-line. Available from Questia, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=61876787. Internet. Accessed 26 August 2008.
• Sabloff, Jeremy A. and C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky, eds. Ancient Civilization and Trade. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1975. Book on-line. Available from Questia, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=78144510. Internet. Accessed 26 August 2008.

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