Wadi Al-Qattafi Central Gorge Slot Kites (Central Arm Narrows)
Central Qattafi Gouge Kites · Qattafi Central Slot Traps
PPNB Late to PN (7000–5800 BCE)·Central Qattafi gorge bottleneck trappers·🇯🇴 Mafraq Governorate, Wadi al Qattafi al Awsat, central arm narrows 3.2 km gorge slot, Jordan
About
About Wadi Al-Qattafi Central Gorge Slot Kites (Central Arm Narrows)
2 km basalt gorge slot (710 m) where Wadi al-Qattafi central branch incises 25 m into basalt flow. Most constricted wadi reach — natural gazelle bottleneck 120 m wide. 7 massive kites integrated into gorge: walls 150–420 m short because gorge walls provide natural funnelling; two parallel kite systems face opposite directions (up-wadi and down-wadi) for bidirectional migration. 6 m into basalt saprolite — deepest pits in Qattafi system due to gorge colluvium pocket.
One pen (QAC-02) contains in situ articulated gazelle skeletal pile (21 individuals) in pit fill — rare direct faunal kill evidence (Rowan 2021). OSL base gravels under wall 7800 BP. Gorge slot is the hydraulic control too: seasonal wadi pool at narrows sustains desert kite trappers camp. Walls show multiple repairs with inner recurve wall (kite within kite).
Why it mattersOnly bidirectional bottleneck kite system with in situ 21 gazelle kill pile — direct function proof and deeper pits adaptation.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Bidirectional vs unidirectional strategy — two migrations vs opportunism
Theories
- 01Gorge wadi pool sustains trapper camping — hydraulic/kite coupling
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 – 5800 BCE (OSL 7800 BP, recurve repairs)
- Period
- PPNB Late to PN (7000–5800 BCE)
- Culture
- Central Qattafi gorge bottleneck trappers
- Builders
- Central gorge slot trappers — bottleneck specialists
- Purpose
- Bidirectional gorge bottleneck trap for both up-wadi and down-wadi migration with faunal kill pile in situ
- Abandoned
- c.5000 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 2018 central gorge survey; 2021 faunal pile QAC-02 excavated
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
2018
Central gorge 7 kites gorge-slot mapped
2020
OSL 7800 BP base gravels
2021
21 gazelle pile excavated QAC-02
On the ground
Structures & features
32.2200° N · 37.1800° E · 710 m · 3 mapped features
Bidirectional Pen Pair QAC-02/03
desert kiteOpposite-facing 22–30 m pens with 1.6 m pits, faunal kill pile 21 gazelle in QAC-02
32.2210° N · 37.1810° EGazelle Bone Pile (21 individuals)
structureArticulated gazelle skeletons in pit fill QAC-02 — direct kill evidence
32.2220° N · 37.1820° ERecurve Repair Wall (kite-in-kite)
earthworkInner 150 m recurve wall inside older pen — maintenance phase
32.2190° N · 37.1790° E