Look, Ancestors, No Hands

Prior to the rise of states,
There seems to have been a peak
In the likelihood of death

By getting coshed on the head.
Then another spike occurred
When the Iron Age began.

There’s probably no very
Simple pattern to observe,
But it seems intuitive,

Or close enough, to assume
That a leap in weaponry
Leads to leaps in violence,

Until new social contracts—
New forms of social contracts—
Rein the given upsurge in.

This could go on for as long
As humans are in control
Of access to the weapons—

New tech, new ways of killing
More easily, new systems
Of control to tamp deaths down.

It might get interesting,
Once weapons fall in the hands
Of machine minds without hands.