Buried under the harsh landscape of the Karst Plateau, located on the border between Slovenia and Italy, are four huge stone structures which could revolutionise what we know about Europe in ancient times. The four huge structures were found thanks to modern ALS and LiDAR technology, revealing the existence of gigantic cone-shaped limestone walls that open into hidden pits where wild animals such as red deer could be caught alive. This discovery, recently detailed in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) titled ‘ Prehistoric hunting megastructures in the Adriatic hinterland ’, is considered to be the oldest large-scale system of animal traps known in Europe so far.
Europe’s prehistoric hunting megastructures uncovered
For hundreds of years, the rock formations had merged seamlessly with their surrounding Karst landscape. When viewed from ground level, the walls were low, measuring no more than 0.5 meters in height. But when surveyed from the air, the scientists made an incredible discovery: massive V-shaped formations that spanned distances of up to 3,500 meters.
A team of researchers from the UCD School of Archaeology at University College Dublin conducted a study of almost 870 km² using airborne laser scanning technology. According to their results, the features were likely hunting corridors that would funnel herds of animals into secret trap enclosures.
As described in the research preprint Resilience, innovation and collapse of settlement networks in later Bronze Age Europe: New survey data from the southern Carpathian Basin, the facilities bear an uncanny resemblance to “desert kites” that have been discovered before in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. This is the first time such formations have been discovered in Europe.
How ancient communities used the stone hunting traps
The construction of the megafences reflects a remarkable understanding of animal behaviour and geographical characteristics. Though limestone walls slowly became narrower until they opened out to traps placed under cliffs or in natural depressions called dolines.
Animals that would be corralled by the walls would most probably be trapped without knowing the dangers that lay ahead.
The researchers stated that through these constructions, people during that time showed the capability to organise community labour work beyond their own household setting and managed to transform their surrounding areas into infrastructure.
Archaeologists state that it would take many hours of hard labour just to build one of these megafences. This indicates that prehistoric communities were socially more organised than what was previously believed by historians. They did not live in tiny groups that only survive day by day, but were able to plan in advance for their hunts.
LiDAR technology reveals Europe’s hidden past
But without the recent advances in Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology and airborne laser scanning, the megastructures could remain unknown forever. Vegetation cover and decades of erosion almost buried the constructions underground. Nevertheless, from the air, their geometric patterns become evident.
The walls are approximately one-to-one and a half meters thick and are constructed to match the geography of the land. According to radiocarbon analysis, the megastructures had ceased to exist even prior to the Late Bronze Age. As such, the construction is considered one of the oldest large-scale prehistoric hunting systems known today in Europe.
The discovery will change the discourse of archaeological research on prehistoric Europe. It refutes the traditional perception that large communal hunting systems were used exclusively in dry lands outside of Europe. The existence of the megastructures proves the use of similar methods by ancient Europeans to manage the land and obtain food resources.
Further studies of archaeologists could help to learn more about the cooperation between the prehistoric Europeans, their hunting practices, and landscape engineering methods.
