In the state of Maharashtra, in western India, lies a unique window into the nation’s ancient past and rich cultural heritage. A series of rock carvings known as petroglyphs, estimated to be 12,000 years old, offer priceless insight into the history of the area. Sitting atop small hills in the Konkan region, they've become known as the Konkan petroglyphs. Since their discovery, scientists and anthropology enthusiasts have hoped to shed some light on unknown civilizations that once thrived in the Konkan region.
The Konkan petroglyphs went unnoticed by many for thousands of years, hidden beneath layers of soil and mud. The initial discovery took place 2012. However, those that were uncovered by the elements were considered sacred or seen as part of the cultural legacy left by the ancestors of people who lived in the vicinity.
Over 1,500 petroglyphs, spread across more than 70 locations, have been documented so far—all of them dating back to the Mesolithic era. The designs seem to have been created by a hunter-gatherer community that had yet to discover agriculture, as this activity wasn't depicted. The carvings feature both land and sea animals (some long extinct), birds, human figures, and geometrical designs.
“Our first deduction from examining these petroglyphs is that they were created around 10,000 [BCE],” the director of the Maharashtra state archaeology department, Tejas Garge, told the BBC. “We have not found any pictures of farming activities. But the images depict hunted animals and there's detailing of animal forms. So this man knew about animals and sea creatures. That indicates he was dependent on hunting for food.”
Now, the Konkan petroglyphs are on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. “The high level of artistic skills and evolution of techniques of rock etching and scooping, are significant markers of their intellectual endowment of the cultural group. The diversity of symbolism, forms, composition, proportion, techniques evident in each site are distinct and collectively represent an insight into the world view of earliest transitionary phases of the culture in Konkan,” reads Unesco's website.
To further study and document 400 of the petroglyphs identified so far, a fund of 240 million rupees ($3.2 million) has been set aside by the state government. Unfortunately, the sites where the petrolyphs are located are at risk due to road construction, mining, agriculture, and erosion, as well as people venturing up close to see them and not being careful, which is why local archeologists are calling fellow enthusiasts to refrain from cleaning or marking the carvings if they visit these historical sites.
The Konkan petroglyphs, estimated to be 12,000 years old offer priceless insight into India’s ancient past and rich cultural heritage.
Over 1,500 petroglyphs, spread across more than 70 locations, have been documented so far—all of them date back to the Mesolithic era.
The designs seem to have been created by a hunter-gatherer community that had yet to discover agriculture. The carvings feature both land and sea animals, birds, human figures, and geometrical designs.
Sources: Geoglyphs of Konkan Region of India; The Konkan Petroglyphs – Introduction; What makes the Konkan petroglyphs so unique?; Prehistoric art hints at lost Indian civilisation
Related Articles:
303 Newly Discovered Nazca Geoglyphs Depict a Wide Array of Animals and Humanoids
168 New Geoglyphs Discovered Among the Nazca Lines in Peru
Medieval Carving of Early Christian Figure Discovered in Germany
Astonishingly Painted Throne Room Is Found by Archeologists in an Ancient Peruvian Site
