AI Summary

Archaeologists surveyed the Lambayeque Valley in northern Peru to examine how ancient societies reacted to extreme climate events. The study focused on mass ritual sacrifices that occurred after catastrophic El Niño flooding along the desert coast. Researchers found that outside these ritual contexts, evidence of interpersonal violence was extremely rare, even during periods of ecological upheaval. Dr. Thomas Snyder of New York University noted that the scarcity of violence suggests that widespread conflict is not an inevitable response to climate change. The findings imply that societies can choose different ways to cope with environmental crises.

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