Timna: A Timeless Desert Environment

On Sunday, our group traveled north to Timna Park, a desert reserve home to fascinating geological and archeological sites and a protected desert ecosystem. We headed out in the morning while it was still cool to drive 30 km to the entrance to the park.

  

 

After stopping to take in the impressive vistas at the entryway, we continued into the park, most of which is easily accessible by car with short hikes to each destination. 

"Spiral Rock" is an outcrop of sandstone which has been gradually eroded by wind and blown sand from all directions into a spiral shape, with extensive honeycomb weathering visible as well.

We then continued along to The Chariots, a series of carved petroglyphs in the surface of sandstone cliffs created by Egyptian miners and soldiers working in the area thousands of years ago. Timna has been mined for copper since 14,000 BCE, with Egyptian underground mines appearing around 6,000 years ago. The carvings depict scenes of hunting, warfare, and nature. Present inhabitants of the park such as ibex are visible as well as ostriches, which no longer inhabit the Timna Valley.

After walking back from The Chariots, we drove to the Timna Oasis for lunch, an artificial, groundwater-filled reservoir full of fish and birds stopping for a refreshing break.

Two pale rock sparrows resting in a palm tree.

A white-spectacled bulbul also sheltered from the heat.

Once we'd lunched and eaten a well-deserved ice cream (with temperatures now rising over 100 Fahrenheit) we proceeded to Solomon's Pillars, a wind-carved sandstone feature. Named for the biblical King Solomon's Mines, these pillars actually host an Egyptian temple and more petroglyphs.

The cracks in the rocks were a refreshing break from the heat.

Photo from Charlotte Wynn

Photo from Charlotte Wynn

Climbing towards the crack in the rocks.

An Egyptian petroglyph

Detail of previous petroglyph

Egyptian religious site.

Panorama of the Timna Valley, with the Timna Cliffs visible (made of dolomites and sandstone), the sandstone PBR "Mushroom and a Half" to the right.

The day wasn't getting any younger, and the heat was now nearing 108 Fahrenheit, so we drove to our last destination, the "Mushroom," a large hoodoo, sandstone carved by wind, sand and precipitation to appear precariously balanced (which is why such formations are sometimes called PBRs, or "Precariously Balanced Rocks").

Walking down towards the smelting sites.

Yours truly with the Mushroom

The Mushroom is surrounded by ancient copper melting sites up to 16,000 years old. It was humbling to see evidence of such ancient craftsmanship, considering I can barely light a stove in the modern day. I also enjoyed the epic vistas visible from this site. We all left contented but a bit overheated, dusty and ready for showers. Timna is a must-see for anyone looking to learn about the stark, beautiful desert environment and long history of the Negev.

Michele silhouetted against the cloudless sky.