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There is a distinctive type of desert kite in southern Arabia. On low-resolution aerial photographs it has the form of a Y and a closer look reveals a scissor-shaped structure. The head and the tails are very distinctive: the head is an open structure with a continuous wall on the right side and many chambers on the left; the tail consists of many piles of stones arranged in a straight line, and only towards the head does it change into a continuous wall. These impressions, together with the-now known-wide distribution of desert kites in non-arid regions as well, lead to the idea that the stone alignments of Carnac in France could also have served as animal traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The desert kites of Jordan, usually stone-built enclosures with long trailing walls, are part of a broader phenomenon found throughout specific parts of the Middle East, with similar types of structures known widely across the world. Most commonly, the enclosures are used for trapping large herds of ungulates. Those found in Jordan are more densely packed and of much greater variety than those elsewhere in the Middle East. This paper offers a review of the current state of knowledge concerning desert kites in Jordan, including new data on patterns of orientation and recent studies that help to strengthen the case for a Neolithic date for some of the kite systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desert kites are found across a vast region. This paper presents a detailed description of kites from the Harrat al-Shaam region (Jordan) and proposes a comparative study, as well as an analysis of the morphology and organisation of kites known from Mount Aragats (Armenia) and the Ustyurt Plateau (Kazakhstan). A complete inventory of the structures in each region highlights their architectural characteristics and their spatial distribution in the landscape. Some preliminary results were obtained by comparing both regions: the core area in eastern Jordan, and peripheries-sometimes very distant-such as in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Chronological data were also compared, when available. All these different and complementary aspects were finally combined with satellite imagery analyses. The interactive process between satellite images and fieldwork observations has enriched both approaches, while yielding preliminary key elements of interpretation for a better understanding of the kite phenomenon on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become increasingly common in archaeology to utilise virtual globes for regions where few if any aerial photographs are available. Saudi Arabia is one such and it has proved especially useful for identifying and mapping the prolific structures commonly referred to as the 'Works of the Old Men', most prominently kites. These are now generally accepted as hunting traps for migratory animals. Although a few were known in Saudi Arabia, the increasing availability of high-resolution 'windows' on virtual globes has revealed them in ever-larger numbers. Such windows can be exploited to define and map archaeological remains and develop methodologies. One particular region with such potential is Harret Khaybar. Progressive additions of high-resolution windows for this harra have revealed 917 kites. Beyond mere counting, analysis allows the development of typologies and identification of locally distinctive forms-notably the 'barbed' form; mapping and the interpretation of patterns in relation to geology, soils, water sources and vegetation; and associations with other 'works', with scope for creating at least relative chronologies. The present study provides data and preliminary analysis, and guidance for such a holistic ground-based archaeological project should the opportunity arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kites have often been interpreted as traps built for hunting purposes. This is based on ethnographic parallels, and recurrent references of the habitat range of animals and possible migration routes. Faunal remains from limited zones and from a selection of sites around kites were studied, particularly from northern Syria and eastern Jordan. When considering the wide distribution of kites in the Middle East and Central Asia, some patterns of animal exploitation and hunting strategies are explored in testing the hypothesis of a cynegetic function of the kites across these regions. As a component of the Globalkites project, the zooarchaeological analyses are used to investigate data regarding the function of kites by reconsidering faunal assemblages recorded around their distribution area, as well as by mapping the historical animal distribution in the Near East and Caucasus. The function of kites is discussed on a large scale, through intensive analyses of the subsistence economy, animal habitat and hunting activities carried out by regional human communities. Cross-referencing these variables with the surrounding environment, settlement patterns and animal ethology and their role in ancient societies, leads to an assessment of the current hypothesis on the function of kites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, the number of inventoried kites has increased fivefold, and the known distribution zone has been greatly extended across the Near East, Arabia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. High-resolution satellite images provide substantial amounts of data that can be subjected to geomatics analysis. The resulting spatial data is used to identify regional differences. We present here a study of these kite structures at the global, regional and local scales, carried out by means of GIS. The recognition of a number of morphological characteristics, without any subjective attribute, leads to a geographically referenced inventory that clearly distinguishes five main regions. This paper suggests a method to define the morphology of the kites, which will be further augmented with cross-variables including the surrounding environment, settlement distribution, animal exploitation and ethology, providing a base for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Armenian kites are the northernmost known kites in south-west Asia. In contrast to those in the deserts further south, their research has only recently begun. The Armenian kites are situated at high elevations, mostly between 900 and 1500 m above mean sea level, in steppic conditions where Artemisia is at present the dominant shrub on the landscape. In our ongoing project we excavated three V-shaped kites and one enclosure kite. The two kinds are similar in construction details, but they differ in size and location: the former run down into gullies, while the latter were placed on the plateau. Six OSL ages suggest terminal Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age construction dates, while geomorphological considerations and surface artefacts suggest earlier dates. A preliminary palynological study suggests a gradual increase in grazing-resistant vegetation since the mid-Holocene, probably reflecting human impact on the natural vegetation through the herding of grazing animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although kite structures are known from several areas of the southern Levant and the Near East (e.g. Sinai, Negev, Syria, Saudi Arabia), their distribution in Jordan was thought to be restricted to the north-eastern basalt harra landscape. From the point of view of arid peripheries settlement dynamics, the gap left in southern and south-eastern Jordan was puzzling in view of the clear continuity in human occupation evidenced by recently intensifying research in this region. This paper presents the first occurrences of kites identified in this hamada landscape in the framework of the joint French-Jordanian South Eastern Badia Archaeological Project ( SEBAP). Despite obvious similarities with the examples known from the harra, the two distinct sets of kites uncovered show clear local specificities in their layout and use of topography, which will be emphasised through the description of survey and excavation results. The evidence clearly supports a function of hunting structures and some clues regarding dating, although still preliminary, are expressed as well. Some lines of investigation to grasp the diversity and regionalism of the kite phenomenon are also explored, as different kite-building traditions seem to emerge from the growing body of evidence available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the desert kite phenomenon in the Arabian Peninsula, Caucasus region and Central Asia.