Magzoid Magazine - Luxury Magazine in the Creative Space | June 2023

ART NEWS
Stone Age hunting traps discovered in Saudi
Arabia and Jordan
Archaeologists have made an extraordinary
find in Saudi Arabia and Jordan,
uncovering the oldest-known
architectural plans that date back
over 9,000 years. The plans, etched on stone
slabs, depict detailed designs of Stone Age
hunting traps called “kites.” These traps were
used to capture wild animals and consisted
of converging walls that drove the animals
toward a central corral surrounded by deep
pits. Over 6,000 such structures have been
found across the Middle East and Asia, with
the highest concentration in present-day Saudi
Arabia, southern Syria, and eastern Jordan.
In 2015, archaeologists discovered two
engraved slabs in Saudi Arabia and Jordan
that shed light on these ancient structures. The
engravings found in Jordan were on a stone
estimated to be around 7,000 years old and
revealed eight previously identified hunting
kites near Jibal al-Khashabiyeh. In Saudi Arabia’s
Jebel az-Zilliyat region, a larger engraved
stone nearly 13 feet in length depicted two
distinct kites located close to each other and
was estimated to be around 8,000 years old.
The study conducted on these discoveries
revealed that the engraved plans accurately
represented the shape, layout, and proportions
of the actual kites found in the field. While
the size of the Jordanian kite was 425 times
larger than its plan, the Saudi Arabian kite was
depicted at a scale of 1:175, making it 175
times larger than the engraving. The drawings
on the slabs displayed remarkable accuracy
and realism, maintaining proper proportions
and cardinal directions.
Although the representation of the deep pits
on the engravings did not adhere to scale
and appeared as simple circles, the construction
of these kites showcases the impressive
spatial awareness and collaborative efforts
of the ancient communities involved. These
kites were among the largest structures built
by humans at that time and likely required
extensive collaboration to successfully hunt
a large number of animals.
These recent discoveries provide valuable
insights into the ingenuity and advanced skills
of our ancient ancestors. By studying these ancient
architectural plans, researchers can better
understand the behaviors, technologies, and
cooperative practices of Stone Age societies.
This newfound knowledge contributes to our
evolving understanding of human history and
the intricate complexities of early civilizations.
- news@magzoid.com
38 June 2023 www.magzoid.com