Nature et fonctions des "desert kites" : données et hypothèses nouvelles

Abstract

Ever since the existence of certain stone structures, kite shaped in plan, were first noticed in the Jordanian and Syrian deserts during the 1920's, they have been the subject of numerous descriptions and speculations as to their origin, age and function. The view generally held today is that they were built by gazelle hunters as traps; the long stone walls (which converge on an enclosure) would lead the animals to a point where they could be killed. A different explanation is presented here : that the kites were erected by pastoralists mainly in order to capture and eventually to corral herds of possibly semi-domesticated animals, living in their natural habitat on the Fertile Crescent margins. This view is based on the results of surveys and mapping of kites in southern and central Syria, archaeological evidence from excavations, comparisons of the kites from the viewpoint of morphology, distribution, topographic situation in relation to water sources, wind direction, etc, and ethnographic parallels. It is concluded that the kites could refer to pastoralists' stock-raising techniques which changed, as needed, through time in many areas of the Near East from the Neolithic to recent times.

Desert kites in the Negev desert and northeast Sinai: Their function, chronology and ecology

“…Both instances demonstrate that the low stone arms of the ancient kites would have been efficient in directing animals, thereby contradicting arguments of several scholars that the kite's arms were too low for hunting but good enough to conduct domesticated herds (e.g. Echallier and Braemer, 1995). Indeed this is borne out by the description given in Wright (1895: 42) of gazelles entering a desert kite: ''The gazelles, led by curiosity and guided by the little walls, march boldly into the field''.…”

“…Another engraving from Burqu', Jordan (MacDonald, 2005: 339-341) convincingly depicts gazelles inside a trap recalling the late 19th-early 20th century eye-witness accounts, i.e. Burckhardt, Musil and Aharoni. Although it has been proposed that these traps differ from kites (Echallier and Braemer, 1995), these depictions establish a clear association between kites/traps and gazelle hunting in the region.…”

“…During the last 80 years several other theories have been offered to account for the function of desert kites, including a role as Roman defensive lines against the Parthian or Sassanian cavalries (Poidebard, 1934: 77-78, 191-196), Neolithic corrals for capturing wild goats and cattle undergoing domestication (Echallier and Braemer, 1995), installations for channelling run-off water (Helms, 1976: 19-20) and even as cult installations (Eddy and Wendorf, 1999: 180). However, the hunting interpretation has gained wide acceptance (Betts and Helms, 1986;Betts, 1998;Betts and Yagodin, 2000;Castel et al, 2005;Fowden, 1999;Helms, 1981;Helms and Betts, 1987;Hershkovitz et al, 1987;Meshel, 2000;Perevolotsky and Baharav, 1991;Rosen and Perevolotsky, 1998;van Berg et al, 2004) and is the paradigm guiding this paper.…”

The “Works of the Old Men” in Arabia: remote sensing in interior Arabia

“…More recent use was made of aerial photographs in the Harrat ash-Sham a generation ago (Echallier and Braemer, 1995;Helms and Betts, 1987) and occasionally elsewhere in Arabia. However, it is only in the last decade there has been systematic aerial reconnaissance anywhere in the Middle East (Kennedy and Bewley, 2009).…”

The diversity of Late Pleistocene and Holocene wild ungulates and kites structures in Armenia

“…While hypotheses linking kites to hunting or husbandry were suggested for desert kites in the Middle East, kites in Armenia are mainly considered to be hunting structures Brochier et al, 2014). Even though kites are widely described as driving traps for gazelle herds, with the use of kite antennae as drive lines guiding animals towards the enclosures, no concrete evidence has of yet been recorded confirming this function ( Echallier and Braemer, 1995;Legge and Rowley-Conwy, 2000;Holzer et al, 2010;Bar-Oz et al, 2011;Nadel et al, 2013;Zeder et al, 2013;Crassard et al, 2014;Chahoud et al, 2015). An analysis of the zooarchaeological record on hunting activities, along with reconstructing animal prehistoric occurrence and behavior in kite areas, are therefore needed in order to try testing the hunting hypothesis and the identification of the prey targeted by kite structures.…”