Discovery and excavation of desert kites in the south-eastern Badia of Jordan

Abstract

The availability of building materials in this region, specific climatic/weather conditions, and the presence of oases as well as periodically advantageous grazing lands are some factors that have been cited to explain the preference for this location (Helms and Betts 1987: 41-2).The apparent total absence of these desert kites on the hamada limestone plateau of south-eastern Jordan remained puzzling for a long time, especially in view of their existence in the neighbouring arid regions of the Negev and Sinai. This absence became all the more perplexing as the intensification of archaeological research started to find evidence of important Late Prehistoric (Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age) human occupation in this area W. Abu-Azizeh, M. Tarawneh, R. Crassard and J.A.S Priego. 2021. Discovery and excavation of desert kites in the south-eastern Badia of Jordan. In A. Betts and P. van Pelt (eds), The gazelle's dream: game drives of the Old and New Worlds. Adapa Monographs. Sydney: Sydney University Press.

New Arabian desert kites and potential proto-kites extend the global distribution of hunting mega-traps

“…It should be noted here that one of the objectives of the Globalkites Project was to examine the function of kites and that a functionally neutral terminology was therefore adopted at the outset of the project. As the function of kite components has now been established (Crassard et al, 2021), here we will use the terms "driving lines" and "pit-traps". Based on the combined presence of these three components (driving lines, enclosure, pit-traps), it is possible to distinguish kites from other mega-traps known in the world from the Palaeolithic to the modern era (e.g.…”

“…However, the pit-trap is a compulsory attribute. Indeed, the pit-trap has been clearly identified by excavations as the final trapping feature (Crassard et al, 2021). It cannot be defined as a small subsidiary enclosure (contra Groucutt and Carleton, 2021), but as a dug-out pit, which the inner side was carefully lined (or stone-faced) with rows of stones, and into which animals fell.…”

“…The whole inner side of pits is stone-faced with rows of stones. They form the trapping element of the kite into which hunted animals fell (Crassard et al, 2021). Satellite images show characteristics shared by the pit-traps of the Harrat Khaybar kites and open kites.…”

“…These teams, which include the Globalkites Project (see www.globalkites.fr), have proposed chronological markers showing that kites were used over a very long period of time, ranging from the late Neolithic to recent periods (Abu-Azizeh et al, in press, al Khasawneh et al, 2019, Barge et al, 2016, Brochier at al., 2014. Furthermore, their function as hunting "mega-traps" for herds of wild ungulates has been clearly demonstrated (Crassard et al, 2021). The geographical range of kites is for its part documented by the observation of high-resolution satellite images.…”

Following the herds? A new distribution of hunting kites in Southwest Asia

“…Over 65% of the documented kites were of the classic star-shaped kite form that is also prevalent in eastern Jordan (Abu-Azizeh et al, 2021; Groucutt and Carleton, 2021). In addition, more than 25% of documented sites remained unclassified because the form of the ‘head’ was not visible on satellite imagery, either because the fabric from the head structures had been eroded, re-used elsewhere, covered by sand or possibly because no head had been built (Figure 4).…”