Incense Route
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. These ruins acted as a way station for the traders and their animals ("khan" is the Arabic word for a caravanserai) as they proceeded further westwards to the Mediterranean seaport city of Gaza.