Talk: "Desert Kites"—The Enigmatic Traps from the Air and on the Ground" by Yorke Rowan (Archaeological Institute of America)
- Event Date: Friday, February 16, 2024
- Time: 2:00 pm–3:00 pm (CST)
- Location: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL
Enigmatic features of the desert that caught the eye of early 20th century aviators, “desert kites” seemed to be the shape of a child’s kite. Widely recognized as vast chains of animal traps, these lines of rocks are clearly visible from the air but easily missed when walking across the landscape. Similar traps are known from Kazakhstan and Armenia to Saudi Arabia, but this lecture will focus on one of the main concentrations recognized in the Black Desert of Jordan. When were they built, how did they function, and what do they tell us about changes in the ways people adapted to change during the Neolithic?
Contact
For further information on this event, contact the Museum Information Desk at spurlock-museum@illinois.edu (email link) or (217) 333-2360
All participants are welcome. To request disability-related accommodations for this event, please contact Brian Cudiamat at cudiamat@illinois.edu (email link) or (217) 244-5586.