Morphological and geographical variability of desert kites

Barge, Olivier; Bouzid, Sofiane; Abu-Azizeh, Wael; Régagnon, Émmanuelle; Crassard, Rémy

doi:10.1007/s12520-023-01718-3

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…These reports provide detail on the characteristics of funnel construction, function, chronology, and site placement relative to the local landscape. They also extended the geographical range for kite-like structures beyond those found in the arid regions of southwest Asia (e.g., Nadel et al 2010;Bar-Oz et al 2011;Crassard et al 2015;Fradley et al 2022;Barge et al 2023), or the reindeer hunting and herding funnels of Scandinavia (Ingold 1986;Sommerseth 2011;Jordhøy & Hole 2015;Solli 2018). In terms of their functionality, kites or kite-like structures are most frequently considered as hunting traps (Holzer et al 2010), where ungulatessuch as springbok in the case of the South African funnels (see Lombard & Badenhorst 2019)would have been guided between the funnel arms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Using aerial survey to record new sites in the Keimoes kite landscape of South Africa

Lotter,

Forssman,

Bielderman

et al. 2023

safa

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The recent identification of kite sites on the Keimoes landscape, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, has shed light on how past populations built and utilised low stone structures to funnel and capture game. By strategically identifying and using certain aspects of the surrounding landscape, in conjunction with key design aspects, local groups maximised hunting proficiency. With this contribution, we revisit the Keimoes landscape to continue our search for more funnel sites and to establish whether there is consistency in some of their key design aspects, as identified in earlier publications. We introduce three more kite sites and provide their morphological and landscape details. For the first time, we also demonstrate that some of the kites were purposefully located near rocky outcrops from which construction material could be collected.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Using aerial survey to record new sites in the Keimoes kite landscape of South Africa

Lotter,

Forssman,

Bielderman

et al. 2023

safa

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show abstract

“… (A) Map showing the location of Umm Jirsan and key sites mentioned in the text, as well as the range of mustatils and desert kites [ 16 , 17 , 20 , 24 , 27 , 39 ] and (B) pendant tombs (black lines and dots) in the Harrat Khaybar [ 31 ]. (C) Location of newly identified archaeological sites are shown in the inset: (A) stone structures (25.6087 N, 39.7502 E, 25.6020 N, 39.7289 E, and 25.5728 N, 39.7330 E); (B) ‘bow-tie’ shaped structure (25.6091 N, 39.7470 E); (C) lava tube collapse with rock art (25.5879 N, 39.7702 E); and (D) Umm Jirsan D area.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia

Stewart,

Andrieux,

Blinkhorn

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. Isotopic data indicates that herbivores primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs rather than being provided with fodder, while humans had a diet consistently high in protein but with increasing consumption of C3 plants through-time, perhaps related to the emergence of oasis agriculture. While underground and naturally sheltered localities are globally prominent in archaeology and Quaternary science, our work represents the first such combined records for Saudi Arabia and highlight the potential for interdisciplinary studies in caves and lava tubes.

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Morphological and geographical variability of desert kites

Cited by 2 publications

References 40 publications

Using aerial survey to record new sites in the Keimoes kite landscape of South Africa

Using aerial survey to record new sites in the Keimoes kite landscape of South Africa

First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia

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