Among the latter are three enormous, craterlike makhteshim ( box canyons ), which are unique to the region; Makhtesh Ramon, Makhtesh Gadol, and Makhtesh Katan.
22.
It is known from bony armor plates that have been found from Makhtesh Ramon in Israel's Negev desert and Araif en Naqua on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
23.
*2010 An Israeli Air Force F-16I crashes in Makhtesh Ramon while on a training over the Negev desert in southern Israel, killing both the pilot and navigator of the plane.
24.
The ruins of a large prehistoric stone structure known as Khan Saharonim are found in the makhtesh, as it lies along the ancient Incense Route, a trade route used by the Nabataeans 2, 000 years ago.
25.
The Menuha Formation records the earliest occurrence of tectonic activity within the Ramon anticline, forming the present erosive valley known as " Makhtesh Ramon " as an outcome of a sequence of erosive events evolving since the Late Cretaceous ( Avni, 1993 ).
26.
The hills to the north-eastern edge of the makhtesh were once entirely covered by spiral ammonite fossils, ranging from the size of snails to that of tractor wheels although these have mainly been extracted so only smaller fossils can be found here today.
27.
Today, the crater is 500m deep with the deepest point being Ein Saharonim ( " Saharonim Spring " ) which also contains the makhtesh's only natural water source, which sustains much of the wildlife in the makhtesh including onagers and ibex.
28.
Today, the crater is 500m deep with the deepest point being Ein Saharonim ( " Saharonim Spring " ) which also contains the makhtesh's only natural water source, which sustains much of the wildlife in the makhtesh including onagers and ibex.
29.
Giv'at Ga'ash, a black hill in the north of the makhtesh was once an active volcano which erupted thousands of years ago and caused it to be covered in lava which quickly cooled in the open air, converting it into basalt.
30.
In the centre of the makhtesh is Ha-Minsara ( " The Carpentry Shop " ), a low hill made up of polygonal prismatic rocks, and interestingly, the rectangular pipes on the side of the hill are made of the same sort of sand found on beaches.
