Desert Kites Visible in U2 Spy Images (IMAGE) University of Pennsylvania Caption Desert kites, stone wall structures that date back 5,000 to 8,000 years, were used to trap gazelle and other similar animals. The dry desert of eastern Jordan preserved many of them, but agricultural expansion in western Jordan dismantled or destroyed many more. These desert kites in eastern Jordan were revealed thanks to painstaking work from University of Pennsylvania and Harvard researchers using declassified images from U2 spy planes. Credit University of Pennsylvania/Emily Hammer Usage Restrictions Images may only be used with appropriate caption and credit information, as noted above. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.