The European Space Agency will launch two science missions with Space X

JEDDAH: New research sheds light on the origins and evolution of a series of “desert kites” (old stone-built hunting traps) in Al-Ula.

Sponsored by the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate, the study revealed fascinating evidence of the innovative and collaborative methods that local people have used for thousands of years to hunt wild animals.

According to an article published by Journal of Archaeological SciencesStone traps were named by pilots who flew over the area in the 1920s and noticed that it resembled a children’s kite with ribbons.

According to Dr. Remy Crassard, an expert on desert kites, these traps are among the largest structures of their time, with the oldest examples found in southern Jordan dating back to 7000 BC.

Although the exact age of these newly discovered traps in northwest Arabia is still being calculated, they appear to span the transition from the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age (5000 – 2000 BC).

Dr. Crassard, who is affiliated with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and serves as co-director of the long-term Khyber Archaeological Project, sponsored by the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate and its strategic partner Afalula (French Agency for the Development of Al-Ula), estimates that there are about 6,500 kites in the area. This number is on the increase compared to 700 to 800 sites known twenty years ago.

During their research in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Armenia and Kazakhstan, Dr. Crassard and his team determined that kites are used specifically for hunting wild animals, rather than for grazing.

He explained that the development of these huge traps had a major impact on the landscape, because they would have forced migratory animals, such as deer, to change their ways and may have been responsible for the extinction of some species.

In Saudi Arabia, research conducted by a team from the University of Western Australia and sponsored by the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Governorate, revealed 207 kites in Al-Ula and the area adjacent to the extinct Haret Uwairid volcano.

Most kites in the area consist of low stone walls designed to lure prey into a trap, such as a pit or cliff. While there are different shapes of kites, the ones discovered by the Australian team, led by Rebecca Rieber, were mostly “V” shaped.

The main lines of Al-Ula’s planes are about 200 meters long, but similar structures in other areas stretch for miles. According to the researchers, their site indicates that hunters have extensive knowledge of animal movements.

According to Dr. Rebecca Foot, Director of Archaeological Research and Cultural Heritage at RCU, these studies contribute to a better understanding of the rich cultural heritage of the peoples of northwestern Arabia.

“Recent studies build on our earlier Neolithic findings in the region, including the construction of large-scale ritual structures,” she says.

“Under the auspices of the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate, and as we enter the Khareef season, we expect more insightful discoveries in collaboration with international teams from Saudi Arabia, France, Australia, Germany and other countries.”

These collaborations are part of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula’s project to establish an international center for archaeological research and preservation in Al-Ula. At the heart of this project is the Kingdoms Institute, located among the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Dadan, in the north of the Arabian Peninsula, which is dedicated to the study of the history of the Arabian Peninsula and prehistory.

Newly discovered kites in AlUla and Khyber provide important insights into their origins and evolution, says Dr. Ingrid Perici Valero, director of antiquities and heritage at Avalola. This is a crucial moment in the history of human evolution and the relationship of man to the natural environment.

This text is a translation of an article published on Arabnews.com