Harrat al-Harrah Kite Cluster (Eastern Jordan Highlands)
Muwaggar-Harrat Eastern Kite Chain · Harrat al-Harrah Southeast Badia Kites
Neolithic (Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B)·Late PPNB steppe-hunting tradition·🇯🇴 Zarqa/Mafraq Governorate, eastern Badia, Harrat al-Harrah, Jordan
About
About Harrat al-Harrah Kite Cluster (Eastern Jordan Highlands)
Eastern rim kite chain of the Jordanian Harrat basalt plain (880 m, 31°02′21″N 37°30′00″E) where basalt peneplain meets limestone Hamad: 18 desert kites arrayed along 17 km N-S per Jibal al-Khashabiyeh model but extended north-east. Kites comprise converging stone walls 80-420 m forming funnels to 8-14 m pit enclosures, with subsidiary kites interlocking. Excavation at St. n. kites (Abu-Azizeh 2021) yielded Late PPNB 7th mill. BCE Tuwailan-type lithics and gazelle mass-bone. Walls 0.3 m basalt kerbs, largely intact due to Badia lack of ploughing. Oxford 2022 satellite mapping extended province into Saudi Harrat al-Harrah.
Why it mattersNorth-eastern extension of southeastern Badia kite province.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Onager vs gazelle primary prey
Theories
- 01PPNB mass-hunt intensification
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.7000-6000 BCE (Late PPNB)
- Period
- Neolithic (Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B)
- Culture
- Late PPNB steppe-hunting tradition
- Builders
- Eastern Badia Neolithic mass-hunters
- Purpose
- Gazelle/persian onager mass drive and slaughter enclosure
- Abandoned
- c.5500 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 2021 Abu-Azizeh Jibal al-Khashabiyeh chain; 2022 Oxford 350-kite mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
2021
17 km 8-kite chain published
2022
Oxford >350 kites Saudi-Iraq
On the ground
Structures & features
31.0400° N · 37.5000° E · 880 m · 2 mapped features
Harrat al-Harrah Northern Kite Funnel
desert kite420-m converging wall kite to 14-m pit
31.0420° N · 37.5020° EJibal al-Khashabiyeh Analogue Pit C
desert kite12-m pit enclosure with bone bed
31.0380° N · 37.4980° E