- A series of low, long walls are cleverly constructed traps that used the landscape.
- Gazelle, ibexes, wild asses and other large herding animals were the targets.
- No one is sure why the kites were abandoned.
Ancient Animal Traps
Low stone walls crisscrossing the deserts of Israel, Egypt and Jordan have puzzled archaeologists since their discovery by pilots in the early 20th century. The chain of lines — some up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) long and nicknamed "kites" by scientists for their appearance from the air — date to 300 B.C., but were abandoned long ago. The mystery might be somewhat clearer thanks to a recent study claiming that the purpose of the kites was to funnel wild animals toward a small pit, where they could easily be killed in large numbers. This efficient system suggests that local hunters knew more about the behavior of local fauna than previously thought.
