PR98417

ALULA, Saudi Arabia, October 24, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

- Studies widen the inventory and geographic extent of these gigantic animal

traps, the largest built structures of their ancient era

- Animals were driven along converging stone walls for hundreds of metres to a

sudden precipice or concealed pit

- RCU is further revealing region's cultural heritage through such research,

the intellectual foundation for Kingdoms Institute as hub of archaeology

New peer-reviewed research into ancient stone-built animal traps, known as

'desert kites', reveals sophisticated and extensive hunting of wild animals

from the Late Neolithic and shows the ingenuity and perhaps collaborative

nature of the region's peoples in the past.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:  

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/9102251-research-supported-by-royal-commission-alula-insights-into-ancient-animal-traps/

The structures were named 'kites' by aviators in the 1920s because, observed

from above, their form is reminiscent of old-fashioned children's kites with

streamers.  However, the origins and function of these huge, monumental

structures had been a matter of debate.

Dr Remy Crassard, a leading expert on desert kites, notes that they are some of

the largest ancient structures of their era. The oldest kites, in southern

Jordan, have been dated to 7000 BCE. The age of newly found kites in north-west

Arabia is still being determined but appears to straddle the transition from

the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age (5000–2000 BCE). Dr Crassard – who,

besides being affiliated with France's National Centre for Scientific Research

(CNRS), is a co-director of the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project,

which is sponsored by RCU and its strategic partner Afalula (France's Agency

for the Development of AlUla) – estimates that 700 to 800 kites were known 20

years ago compared to about 6,500 now, with the number still growing.

Based on recent research conducted in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Armenia and

Kazakhstan, Dr Crassard's team affirms that kites were used for hunting and not

for domestication, that they "mark a profound change in human strategies for

trapping animals", and that "the development of these mega-traps made a

spectacular human impact on the landscape". Kites may have led to hunting well

beyond subsistence levels, related to "an increase in symbolic behaviour

related to food production and social organisation". Some wild species such as

gazelles might have altered their migratory routes as a result, and other

species might have been hunted to extinction.

In Saudi Arabia, research led by Rebecca Repper of the University of Western

Australia's RCU-sponsored team, Aerial Archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia – Al Ula, detected 207 previously unknown kites in AlUla County. These

are especially concentrated on the Harrat 'Uwayrid, an upland area with an

extinct volcano. The team found that a distinct type of V-shaped kite was the

dominant form in their study area, in contrast to kites found elsewhere in the

region. Kites have been described in a variety of shapes, including V, 'sock',

'hatchet' and W-shaped.

Regardless of form, all kites in the region have driving lines of low stone

walls that converge to funnel animals towards a trap such as a pit or

precipice. On average, the driving lines of the AlUla kites are approximately

200m long. However, elsewhere they can stretch for kilometres. Ms Repper says

the shorter length shows the local knowledge of the hunters, who placed the

traps in areas where existing landscapes naturally restricted animal movements.

Kite placement also suggests that the hunters had an intimate knowledge of prey

movements.

While kites recorded in the AlUla region tended to funnel prey towards a sudden

precipice, kites elsewhere often end in concealed pits, in which hundreds of

animals could be killed during a single hunt. This difference could be an

adaptation to the local geography or an evolution of trap hunting.

The aerial archaeology team's research in the region complements work by Dr

Crassard, who contributed data on the kites of Khaybar to a recently published

study led by Dr Olivier Barge (CNRS) on the relative chronology of kite types.

In Khaybar, two types of kites have been distinguished: traditionally defined

desert kites and rudimentary proto-kites, which do not have a well-defined

enclosure surrounded by traps or pits. The team suggests that the proto-kites

might have been a precursor to desert kites. The more complex kites may reflect

less opportunistic and more formalized hunting techniques.

Dr Rebecca Foote, Director of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Research for

RCU, said: "These studies add to our growing understanding of the rich cultural

heritage of the people of north-west Arabia, in this case more on prehistoric

practices. The recent studies expand on our earlier discoveries of the

Neolithic period in the region, including the construction of large-scale

ritual structures known as mustatils. As we embark on the autumn season of

RCU-supported archaeological fieldwork, with teams from KSA, France, Australia,

Germany and beyond, we look forward to many more insightful findings as part of

our ambitious plan to create a global hub of archaeological research and

conservation in AlUla."

That hub, the Kingdoms Institute, is currently active as a research

organization, with plans to open a physical presence at AlUla by 2030. The

RCU-sponsored research in and around AlUla is adding to the knowledge base that

will inform the Kingdoms Institute. RCU expects the institute to become a prime

destination by the time AlUla is receiving 2 million visitors a year in 2035.

Dr Ingrid Périssé Valéro, Director of Archaeology and Heritage for Afalula,

said: "The recording of these new kites in AlUla and Khaybar opens up important

perspectives on the origins, development and diffusion of these hunting

structures, which marked a significant milestone in the history of human

evolution and mankind's relationship with the natural environment. The

groundbreaking research from these international teams, including work by

France's expert Dr Rémy Crassard, combines the results of satellite image

analysis and fieldwork, which is the only way to provide precise dating and

function by analysing the material associated with these structures. Without a

doubt, the ongoing research will be a landmark in prehistorical studies."

The recent research is detailed in the following:

- The Use of Desert Kites as Hunting Mega Traps: Functional Evidence and

Potential Impacts on Socioeconomic and Ecological Spheres' by Rémy Crassard, et

al, published in Journal of World Prehistory. Project sponsored by CNRS and

French National Research Agency.

- Kites of AlUla County and the Ḥarrat 'Uwayriḍ, Saudi Arabia' by

Rebecca Repper, et al, published in Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy. Project

sponsored by RCU.

- New Arabian desert kites and potential proto-kites extend the global

distribution of hunting mega-traps' by Olivier Barge, et al, published in

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Khaybar data in this article

results from the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project.

To download a factsheet and diagrams on kites, click here

[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13DjahX1JKFkiSY2DJvXVE6i5CXlhMwC6]

About the Royal Commission for AlUla

RCU was established by royal decree in July 2017 to preserve and develop AlUla,

a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in north-west Saudi

Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive

approach to urban and economic development that preserves the area's natural

and cultural heritage, while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to

live, work, and visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across

archaeology, tourism, education,  the arts, nature and more, reflecting a

commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local community

empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030

programme.

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SOURCE: Royal Commission for AlUla