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 David is an aerial archaeologist whose studies have taken him to areas where he isn't allowed to fly. He searches the desert mile by mile, all from an office half a world away. ||||| The Big Circle called J1 is about 390 meters (1,280 feet) in diameter, with an open area created by bulldozing in its interior. 
 
 Huge stone circles in the Middle East have been imaged from above, revealing details of structures that have been shrouded in mystery for decades. 
 
 Archaeologists in Jordan have taken high-resolution aerial images of 11 ancient "Big Circles," all but one of which are around 400 meters (1,312 feet) in diameter. Why they are so similar is unknown but the similarity seems “too close to be a coincidence" said researcher David Kennedy. 
 
 The Big Circles (as archaeologists call them) were built with low stone walls that are no more than a few feet high. The circles originally contained no openings, and people would have had to hop over the walls in order to get inside. [See Aerial Images of the Mysterious Big Circles in the Mideast] 
 
 Their purpose is unknown, and archaeologists are unsure when these structures were built. Analysis of the photographs, as well as artifacts found on the ground, suggest the circles date back at least 2,000 years, but they may be much older. They could even have been constructed in prehistoric times, before writing was invented, scientists say. 
 
 A mysterious stone circle, called a Big Circle as seen from above in Jordan. This circle has been labeled J3. Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East image APAAME_20040601_DLK-0107 
 
 Though the Big Circles were first spotted by aircraft in the 1920s, little research has focused on these structures, and many scientists are not even aware of their existence, something these archaeologists hope the new aerial images will help to change. 
 
 The "most important contribution is simply to collect and make known a large group of rather remarkable sites," writes Kennedy, a professor at the University of Western Australia, in an article published recently in the journal Zeitschrift für Orient Archäologie. 
 
 In addition to the 11 photographed circles, researchers have identified another similar circle in Jordan, which appears to have been only partially completed, Kennedy noted. Old satellite imagery also reveals two circles, one in Jordan and another in Syria, which have both been destroyed. The circle in Syria was destroyed within the last decade and the one in Jordan a few decades ago. A separate research team, from Durham University, investigated the Syria circle before it was completely gone. 
 
 While there are many smaller stone circles in the Middle East, what makes these 11 Big Circles stand out is their large size and ancient age, Kennedy said. 
 
 Kennedy has been leading the Aerial Archaeology in Jordan Project (AAJ) since 1997 and also co-directs the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME). 
 
 Building the Big Circles 
 
 The circles would not have been hard to build, Kennedy said. They were constructed mainly with local rocks, and a dozen people working hard could potentially complete a Big Circle in a week, Kennedy told Live Science in an email. [Gallery: Aerial Photos Reveal Mysterious Stone Structures] 
 
 However, building the circles in a precise shape would have taken some planning. "In the case of those circles that [are] near-precise circles, it would have required at least one person as 'architect,'" Kennedy said, adding that this architect could simply have tied a long rope to a post and walked in a circle, marking the ground as he or she moved around. "That would also explain the glitches [in the circles] where the land was uneven," as the architect wouldn't have been able to keep walking in a perfect circle at those spots. 
 
 The purpose of the Big Circles is a mystery, Kennedy said. It seems unlikely that they were originally used as corrals, as the walls were no more than a few feet high, the circles contain no structures that would have helped maintain an animal herd and there's no need for animal corrals to have such a precise shape, he said. 
 
 One of the circles contains three cairns, or rock piles, on its edges that may have been used for burial. However, Kennedy said, "my inference is that the cairns [were built] later, when the enclosure was no longer significant." 
 
 Solving the circle mystery 
 
 In order to solve the mystery, archaeologists must conduct more actual fieldwork, Kennedy said, noting that aerial images are helpful but can't replace excavation. 
 
 Archaeologists Graham Philip and Jennie Bradbury, both with Durham University in England, have examined a Big Circle they found near Homs in Syria. While the circle was "badly damaged" when the researchers found it, they completed their fieldwork before land development completely destroyed the structure. 
 
 This Big Circle was positioned in such a way that it could give someone standing inside it a "panoramic" view of a basin that would have held crops and settlements, the researchers reported in a 2010 paper in the journal Levant. This "may have played an important part in the location of the enclosure," the two archaeologists wrote in the Levant article. 
 
 Recent satellite imagery shows that the circle near Homs is now virtually destroyed, Kennedy wrote. 
 
 Megalithic landscape 
 
 While the purpose of the Big Circles remains unknown, the research by Kennedy and his team shows that the creations were part of a landscape rich in stone structures. 
 
 His team has found thousands of stone structures in Jordan and the broader Middle East. They come in a variety of shapes, including "Wheels" (circular structures with spokes radiating out); Kites (stone structures that forced animals to run into a kill zone); Pendants (lines of stone cairns that run from burials); and walls (mysterious structures that meander across the landscape for more than a mile — or up to several thousand meters — and have no apparent practical use). 
 
 The aerial photography program his team is conducting, combined with satellite imagery from sites like Google Earth, has led to many discoveries, Kennedy said. "As soon as you get up a few hundred feet, it all comes into focus. You can suddenly see the shape of what you've been looking at," Kennedy said in a YouTube video made by Google as part of their Search Stories series. 
 
 Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science. ||||| Huge stone circles discovered by air in the Middle East have been imaged with high resolution, revealing their age and other intriguing details. Here's a look at the "Big Circles," which have puzzled scientists for decades. [Read full story on the stone circles] 
 
 Sprawling circle 
 
 Archaeologists in Jordan have taken high-definition aerial images of 11 Big Circles (as archaeologists call them). Built with low stone walls, the Big Circles have remained mysterious, as archaeologists aren't sure of their purpose. The circles were first seen in the 1920s by aircraft. Even so little research has focused on them and little is known about the structures. 
 
 Now, these aerial images suggest the Big Circles were created at least 2,000 years ago, possibly dating to prehistoric times. Here, a circle dubbed J2 seen from the air. It is about 390 meters (1,280 feet) in diameter. (Image Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East, image APAAME_20040601_DLK-0052) 
 
 On the ground 
 
 An image of the same circle, J2, as seen from the ground. The stone walls of the Big Circles were originally no more than a few feet high. Curiously the circles don't seem to have any openings, so people would have had to hop over the low walls to get inside. (Image Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East image APAAMEG_20070817_DLK-0012) 
 
 A field runs through it 
 
 Another Big Circle, this one called J3, extends some 400 m (1,312 feet) in diameter. Modern-day fields and a modern-day road in the Middle East cut through the expansive circle. (Image Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East image APAAME_20040601_DLK-0107) 
 
 Creating a circle 
 
 A pit exposing several layers of the stone wall of circle J3 can be seen. Researchers believe that a dozen people, working hard, could construct a Big Circle in about a week, though creating such a precise shape would be tricky. (Image Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East image APAAMEG_20070817_DLK-0077) 
 
 Groomed circle 
 
 The Big Circle called J1 is about 390 m (1,280 feet) in diameter. Modern-day bulldozing has created an open area in the interior of the circle. Archaeologists involved in the project hope images like this one will make other scientists aware of the mysterious stone circles. (Image Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East imageAPAAME_20040601_DLK-0041) 
 
 Attention to detail 
 
 Big Circle J1 as seen from a satellite image available on Google Earth. Although damaged by modern-day bulldozing, the precision of the circle's shape is still visible. (Image copyright Digital Globe, courtesy Google Earth) 
 
 Roman milestones 
 
 The Big Circle called J4 is about 420 m (1,378 feet) in diameter. An ancient track road runs through it. South of the circle this track road has three Roman milestones. During the Roman Empire milestones were erected at regular intervals, giving travelers an idea of how far they'd gone. Milestones also bore the name of the Roman emperor, letting people know that Rome controlled the territory. (Image Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East imageAPAAME_20051002_DLK-0139) 
 
 Circle from above 
 
 Here an aerial image of Big Circle J6, which is about 400 m (1,312 feet) in diameter. To figure out what the Big Circles, like this one, were used for, archaeologists will need actual fieldwork, said the scientists involved in the aerial image project. (Image Credit: Stafford Smith, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East imageAPAAME_20090930_SES-0081) 
 
 Wonky shape 
 
 The Big Circle called J10 is irregularly shaped and has a Roman road cutting through it. This and other Big Circles were part of a were part of a landscape rich in stone structures, such as so-called Wheels (structures with spokes radiating out) and Kites (stone structures used for funnelling and killing animals). (Image Credit: David L. Kennedy, copyright is retained by the Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East imageAPAAME_20080925_DLK-0083) 
 
 Syrian Circle 
 
 This circle was located near Homs, Syria. Now virtually destroyed it can still be seen on archive Google Earth imagery (this image is an archive shot). This circle was examined on the ground before it was destroyed. Researchers found that it overlooks a basin that was rich in crops and settlements. (Image copyright Digital Globe, courtesy Google Earth) 
 
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– Archaeologists have snapped aerial photos of ancient stone circles as part of an ongoing effort to figure out why the structures exist, LiveScience reports. The images (taken in Jordan and viewable here) show that 10 of the 11 structures are roughly 1,300 feet in diameter, but their purpose remains a mystery. What experts do know: The so-called "Big Circles" date back 2,000 years or more, have stone walls that were likely too low to function as corrals, and included no openings. The structures are also crude attempts at circles, indicating that an architect marked the shapes by walking a rope from the center, but messed up the circle where the ground was uneven. What's more, one circle has three rock piles (or "cairns") on its edge that might have functioned as burial sites. But researcher David Kennedy says he believes that "the cairns [were built] later, when the enclosure was no longer significant." Many stone circles exist in the Middle East, including one in Syria near Homs that has been totally destroyed. According to a 2010 research paper, it was built on a spot that gave anyone inside it a perfect view of a basin full of settlements and crops. Other stone structures around the Middle East come in various shapes, including walls that wander across landscapes, "kites" that directed animals into a killing zone, and "wheels" that have spokes sticking out of a circle. As for the Big Circles, Kennedy says the next step is to excavate them, Science Alert reports. See a YouTube video on the circle hunt, or read about a city founded by Genghis Khan's descendants.