In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists have uncovered rock carvings in the Arabian Peninsula that may represent the world’s oldest known architectural plans. These carvings, estimated to be around 8,000 years old, depict large-scale hunting traps known as ‘desert kites’. This discovery, reported by Yahoo Life, sheds new light on our ancestors’ sophisticated understanding of space and their ability to plan complex structures.
Desert kites, first noticed by archaeologists about a century ago, are large areas of land bordered by low stone walls, sometimes with pits scattered near the edges. These structures, primarily found in the Middle East and Central Asia, are thought to have functioned as pens or traps for animals. Hunters would herd animals, like gazelle, into the kite through a long, narrow passage, where the game would be unable to escape the walls or the pits, making them easier to kill.
The recent discovery of these architectural-like designs engraved in rocks in Jordan and Saudi Arabia has revealed how Neolithic humans may have planned these ‘mega-traps’. The study, published in the journal PLOS One, used mathematical calculations to compare the rock-cut kite diagrams with the shape and dimensions of known kites. The results showed a surprising level of accuracy and realism in the engravings, suggesting that these may indeed be the oldest known architectural plans to scale in human history.
The team theorized that a group of people preparing for a hunting activity might have studied and discussed the plan of an already-built kite, which might have included coordinating the number and position of the hunters and anticipating the animals’ actions ahead of the event. It’s also possible that a diagram like this was used to construct the kite in the first place. In either case, the fact that humans were creating a link between physical space as seen from above and graphical representation is an important development in abstract thought and symbolic representation.
This discovery is a fascinating addition to our understanding of these Neolithic desert kites and their complex layout within the landscape. It also underscores the degree of abstraction and planning involved in their construction, a testament to the ingenuity and sophistication of our ancestors.
As we continue to unearth the secrets of our past, discoveries like these remind us of the rich tapestry of human history and our shared heritage as builders, creators, and innovators.
Source: Yahoo Life
Ruins and Relics 