Dr. Keith F. Otterbein is an Emeritus Professor of Anthropology

Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...

 at the University at Buffalo

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...

 (SUNYAB), in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Dr. Otterbein is a past president of the Human Relations Area Files

Human Relations Area Files

The Human Relations Area Files, Inc. , located in New Haven, Connecticut is a nonprofit international membership organization with over 300 member institutions in the U.S. and more than 20 other countries...

 and has been a frequent contributor to cross-cultural research

Cross-cultural studies

Cross-cultural studies, sometimes called Holocultural Studies, is a specialization in anthropology and sister sciences that uses field data from many societies to examine the scope of human behavior and test hypotheses about human behavior and culture. Cross-cultural studies is the third form of...

, primarily in warfare related topics.

Otterbein is the author of the recent book How War Began (2004), in which he explores the origins of war

War

War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

fare in human society.

Publications

• The Evolution of Zulu Warfare, 1964, Kansas Journal of Sociology.
• Internal War: A Cross-Cultural Study 1968 American Anthropologist.
• Higi Armed Combat 1978, Southwestern Journal of Anthropology.
• The Evolution of War: A Cross-Cultural Study 1970 HRAF Press, New Haven. (2nd Ed. 1985)
• Killing of Captured Enemies: A Cross-Cultural Study 2000 Current Anthropology.