The Desert "Kites" of the Badiyat Esh-Sham and North Arabia

Abstract

Archaeological investigations into the steppic regions of the Near East have only recently been systematized in controlled surveys and excavations. Prior to this information regarding pastoral nomads and 'archaeological' remains came from travellers' accounts. One corpus of such data concerned extensive stone structures in the basaltic sub-region of the Badiyat esh-Sham, 'desert kites', which have received much speculative attention. Their function and date were not established in any empirical way until very recently, and even then, the nature of evidence is problematical; it is typical of what might be called steppic archaeology. This, the long debate regarding 'kites' and the new evidence to hand are presented here and set against the development of steppic hunting technology from the Neolithic up to more recent periods.

Role of mass-kill hunting strategies in the extirpation of Persian gazelle ( Gazella subgutturosa ) in the northern Levant

“…It has been argued that the construction and use of these kites dates as far back as 8000-9000 y ago during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, when hunted gazelle were still the primary source of protein for steppic peoples (13). Gazelle remains from the site of Abu Hureyra in the middle Euphrates Valley (14,15) have yielded demographic data interpreted as evidence for early mass kills using kites or other communal hunting techniques (see also ref.…”

“…Several authors have suggested that the mass harvesting of Persian gazelle using "desert kites" might have played a role in their extirpation (13)(14)(15). These enigmatic stone structures can be found in large numbers from Arabia to southeastern Turkey along a proposed former migratory route for this species.…”

“…These enigmatic stone structures can be found in large numbers from Arabia to southeastern Turkey along a proposed former migratory route for this species. Some of these structures may date to as early as 8000-7000 BCE (13), and evidence for seasonal culling of gazelle in Abu Hureyra has been used to argue for the practice of mass-kill strategies as early as 13,000 cal BCE (14,15). Recent evidence from across the region, however, suggests that the use of desert kites was particularly common and widespread from 4000 to 1000 BCE (16)(17)(18)(19).…”

The Natufian hunting conundrum: spears, atlatls, or bows? musculoskeletal and armature evidence

“…In the southern Levant, drive and surround hunting could have been accomplished by taking advantage of the natural topography, as well as cultural features described as desert 'kites' that served as enclosures during game drives [47].…”

Kite Recognition by Means of Graph Matching

“…Kites have been discovered in the Middle East since the 1920s. Despite several studies, the issues related to their age and function remain without satisfactory answers [4,8]. The kites are thus an underestimated phenomenon.…”