A zooarchaeological approach to understanding desert kites

Abstract

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.