For almost a century there has been debate on the functional interpretation of desert kites. These archaeological structures have been interpreted as constructions for animal hunting or domestication purposes, sometimes for both, but with little conclusive evidence. Here, we present new evidence from a large-scale research programme. This unprecedented programme of archaeological excavations and geomatics explorations shows the unequivocal and probably exclusive function of kites as hunting traps. Considering their gigantic size, as well as the significant energy and organization required to build them, these types of traps are called mega-traps. Our research is based on five different field studies in Armenia, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, as well as on satellite imagery interpretation across the global distribution area of kites throughout the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. This hunting interpretation raises questions about the transformation of the landscape by human groups and the consequent anthropogenic impacts on local ecological equilibrium during different periods of the Holocene. Finally, the role of trapping in the hunting strategies of prehistoric, protohistoric and historic human groups is addressed.

近一个世纪以来，关于沙漠风筝的功能解释一直存在争论。这些考古结构被解释为用于动物狩猎或驯化目的的建筑，有时两者兼而有之，但缺乏确凿的证据。在这里，我们提出了来自大规模研究计划的新证据。这项史无前例的考古发掘和测绘探索计划显示了风筝作为狩猎陷阱的明确且可能是独一无二的功能。考虑到它们的巨大尺寸，以及建造它们所需的大量能源和组织，这些类型的陷阱被称为巨型陷阱。我们的研究基于亚美尼亚、约旦、哈萨克斯坦和沙特阿拉伯的五项不同实地研究，以及对整个中东、高加索和中亚风筝全球分布区的卫星图像解释。这种狩猎解释提出了关于全新世不同时期人类群体对景观的改造以及由此产生的人为对当地生态平衡的影响的问题。最后，讨论了诱捕在史前、原始和历史人类群体狩猎策略中的作用。