Desert Kites: 6,000 Ancient Traps Revealed from the Sky

RAF pilots in the 1920s first noted vast desert kite formations—low, dry-stone walls arranged into kite shapes that are visible from the air but almost invisible on foot. Today more than 6,000 have been identified across the Middle East and beyond, some stretching for kilometers. The structures trap animals by steering them toward enclosed gaps and pits at the far end, which can be hidden by low walls. The oldest kites date to the early Holocene, making them among the region’s most complex ancient constructions. Excavations are few, and scholars debate whether they were used for livestock management or hunting wild game.