The estimated two hundred thousand rock art engravings found in the Negev desert date back at least 5000 years and are possibly even older. Negev rock art is mostly found on exposed rock outcropping and contains motifs and symbols associated with the communities that roamed and resided in region over the millennia.
Previous archaeological surveys conducted in the Negev Highlands recorded rock art sites dating to the Middle Bronze and Iron Ages as well as the Roman and Byzantine periods. The 1954 survey conducted by Emmanuel Anati in the Central Negev mentions locating petroglyphs near Avdat (Abda). During an emergency survey undertaken in the Negev in the late 1980s, Thamudic, Nabataean and Arabian inscriptions were located, frequently accompanied by engraved elements. Despite the wealth of images and inscriptions, only a small percentage of these panels have been thoroughly documented.
