Jibal al-Khashabiyeh Kites
Khashabiyeh Kite Hill · Eastern Desert Kites Central
Late Neolithic to Chalcolithic·Eastern Badia Neolithic pastoral-hunters·🇯🇴 Zarqa Governorate, Jibal al-Khashabiyeh, Jordan
About
About Jibal al-Khashabiyeh Kites
Complex of 16 interlinked desert kites on the Jibal al-Khashabiyeh hill cluster forming the best-preserved kite chain in Jordan. 2-km continuous funnel network dated to 5000-3500 BCE via two OSL assays under walls and C14 on terminal cell bone 4490 BCE. 9-m high limestone rubble with internal post-holes indicating brush superstructure raising effective height to 2 m. The hill cluster funnels natural wadi drainage that concentrates gazelle at seasonal pools; kites are oriented to block wadi mouths.
Faunal dumps show 80% goitered gazelle with selective young male cull pattern, implying herd management not indiscriminate kill.
Why it mattersOnly interlinked kite chain demonstrating engineering optimization via shared walls; reveals herd-management cull pattern.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Brush superstructure height inference
Theories
- 01Early game management / proto-pastoralism
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.5000-3500 BCE
- Period
- Late Neolithic to Chalcolithic
- Culture
- Eastern Badia Neolithic pastoral-hunters
- Builders
- Khashabiyeh Badia groups
- Purpose
- Wadi-mouth mass gazelle trap with shared walls
- Abandoned
- c.3500 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 1970s Alison Betts survey; 2019 Helms chain mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
5000 BCE
Initial chain wall construction OSL
4490 BCE
Terminal cell bone C14
2019
Helms maps 1.2 km interlinked chain
On the ground
Structures & features
31.6500° N · 36.4500° E · 720 m · 2 mapped features
Shared Drive Wall
earthwork400-m common wall serving three adjacent funnels
31.6480° N · 36.4510° ETerminal Cell JK-09
desert kiteCell with stratified gazelle bone and post-holes
31.6510° N · 36.4490° E
Gallery