Kites in Arabia

In this book, Professor David Kennedy explores all aspects of kites and related structures from their basic function to more elaborate arrays of kites. Together with examples and case studies, he explores all aspects of these intriguing structures and the methods being employed to better understand them. In particular, the use of aerial archeology techniques from airborne photography in the early days to today’s use of Google Earth and similar tools.

Prior to the aerial crossing of the Jordanian desert and lava fields of the early 20th Century, little was known in the Western world of the structures built from the basalt boulders which became known as kites. News of these structures were published in the journal Antiquity and speculation began on their purpose, composition and the various styles of structure which were being observed. Kites are formed from walls built from these boulders and form a head or enclosure and a run of walls which flow out for up to more than a kilometre.