Excavations at the periphery of the Siwa Oasis have brought to light a 2nd-century BCE sanctuary dedicated to a local desert deity, dubbed the Temple of the Amber Jackal. The name stems from a series of stunning amber-inlaid jackal statues found guarding the entrance. Unlike the grand limestone temples of the Nile, this structure utilizes a rare local sandstone reinforced with prehistoric fossilized wood.
The most striking feature found within the temple is a pair of quartz-glass altars that appear to have been used for solar observations. When the sun reaches specific angles, the glass focuses light onto the central statue, a technique that researchers believe was used to signal the beginning of the local harvest season to the oasis inhabitants.