Ethnographic accounts of indigenous lifeways of the Lower Colorado River are replete with reports of warfare and strife. Yet, the archaeology of the region is dominated by large sites comprised of intaglios and associated features that have been interpreted as region-wide centers. In this paper, we explore various interpretations that reconcile endemic warfare with region-wide ceremonial behavior. The evidence is aided with the results from recent surveys of intaglio complexes combined with ethnographic reports. A new model is offered on the role of ceremony and warfare in past Yuman society.