Amazing stuff!
"Scientists have discovered evidence of stone megastructures on the Karst Plateau on the border of Slovenia and Italy that were most likely built before the Late Bronze Age. These enormous structures have long, low walls that lead to a pit and are believed to have been used as large-scale traps for herds of wild animals such as red deer.
Researchers ... conducted airborne laser scanning (ALS) surveys across an area of approximately 870 square kilometers and discovered four previously unknown megastructures. They range in size from 530 meters to over 3.5 kilometers in length and are similar to desert kites, large prehistoric hunting structures in Southwest Asia and North Africa. ..."
From the significance and abstract:
"Significance
Monumental dry-stone structures identified on the Karst Plateau of the Adriatic hinterland through airborne laser scanning represent a previously undocumented form of large-scale hunting infrastructure in Europe. Characterized by funnel-shaped alignments and concealed enclosures, they appear designed to guide and intercept herds of ungulates.
Although precise dating remains challenging, radiocarbon and stratigraphic evidence point to a likely pre- or early Bronze Age construction.
Their scale and strategic landscape integration imply coordinated communal effort, planning, and knowledge of animal behavior. These findings extend the known geographic range of prehistoric hunting megastructures beyond the arid landscapes of Southwest Asia and North Africa, offering insights into prehistoric land use, social organization, and subsistence in temperate Europe.
Abstract
Airborne laser scanning survey of the Karst Plateau in the Adriatic hinterland has revealed four monumental dry-stone structures, characterized by long, low stone alignments converging into concealed enclosures. These features, strategically placed along natural movement corridors, appear to have been designed to guide and trap herds of wild animals.
Their architectural scale, complexity, and integration with the terrain suggest a high degree of communal organization, landscape knowledge, and planning. Although direct dating remains inconclusive, associated stratigraphy indicates they were abandoned before the Late Bronze Age, pointing to a potentially earlier origin.
These structures may represent the westernmost examples of a broader tradition of large-scale hunting installations previously known only from the arid zones of Southwest Asia and North Africa. Their finding challenges prevailing models of prehistoric subsistence in Europe and opens broad perspectives on social organization, mobility, and human–animal relations in complex landscapes."
Fig. 1 Location of the study area in the northern Adriatic hinterland, showing the position of the four funnel-shaped stone structures discussed in the text. The map highlights key landscape features, situating the installations within broader topographic corridors that connect the Gulf of Trieste with the interior.
Fig. 2 Plans of the four monumental funnel-shaped structures (K01-K04) based on airborne laser scanning (ALS) data.
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