Hans Hermann-Hoppe on the myth of the "noble savage"

In the literature, primitive man has been frequently described as peaceful and living in harmony with nature.  Most popular in this regard is Rousseau's portrayal of the "noble savage."  Aggression and war, it has been frequently held, were the result of civilization built upon the institution of private property.  In fact, matters are almost exactly the reverse.  True, the savagery of modern wars has produced unparelled carnage.  Both World War I and World War II, for instance, resulted in tens of millions of deaths and left entire countries in ruins.  And yet, as anthropological evidence has in the meantime made abundantly clear, primitive man has been considerably more warlike than contemporary man.  It has been estimated that on the average some 30 percent of all males in primitive, hunter-gatherer societies died from unnatural - violent - causes, far exceeding anything experienced in this regard in modern societies...  Of course, primitive warfare was very different from modern warfare.  It was not conducted by regular troops on battlefields, but by raids, ambushes, and surprise attacks.  However, every attack was characterized by utmost brutalilty, carried out without mercy and always with deadly results; and while the number of people killed in each attack might have been small, the incessant nature of these aggressive encounters made violent death an ever-present danger for  every man (and abduction and rape for every woman).

~ Hans Hermann-Hoppe, A Short History of Man: Progress and Decline, pp. 27-28