Maharashtra: ‘Nowhere in the world can we find rock art of this kind’

Over the years rock carvings of a previously unidentified civilisation have been found in India’s western condition of Maharashtra. Now, a cave within the same region will be promising to lose more light at the creators of these prehistoric artworks and their particular lives. The BBC Marathi’s Mayuresh Konnur reports.

The cave, located around 10km (six miles) away from Koloshi village in the Konkan region of traditional western Maharashtra, was uncovered by a group of researchers last year. Excavations earlier this year revealed several stone tools in the give that date back tens of thousands of years.

“Nowhere in the world can we find rock art of the kind, ” says Dr Tejas Garge, who heads Maharashtra’s archaeology department. Archaeologists believe these artefacts can help us learn more about the way our forefathers lived.

The cave, which is located in a secluded forest in Sindhudurg, was discovered by experts who were studying stone carvings in nearby areas. Excavation function was conducted within two rounds, where archaeologists dug two trenches inside the cave. Several big and small stone equipment dating back to the Mesolithic period – also known as the middle stone age group – have been found.

“The microliths, or the small rock tools, date back to 10, 000 years, whereas the larger equipment could be around twenty, 000 years old, inch says Rutivij Apte, who has been exploring the Konkan petroglyphs and was section of the excavation team.

Dr Parth Chauhan, an archaeologist, says chemical processes are used to analyse any residue that might be present for the edges of the artefacts. This can help determine what the thing was used for.

“It will take a couple of months to find out the exact time period these types of stone tools fit in with. But right now, we are able to say that these artefacts are between ten, 000 to 48, 000 years old. inch

Maharashtra’s laterite-rich Konkan plateau where this cave had been discovered is also a treasure trove associated with prehistoric art. During the past explorers have discovered rock carvings of animals, birds, individual figures and geometrical designs hidden under layers of soil in several villages right here.

So far, 1700 petroglyphs – or even rock carvings – have been found at 132 locations in seventy six villages in Sindhudurg and nearby Ratnagiri district.

Saili Palande Datar, the Pune-based art historian and writer, states these carvings provide great insights to the life and routines of prehistoric man.

She provides the example of an well-known rock carving of a human-figure found near Barsu village in Ratnagiri district.

The carving will be embossed on a rock and seems to be of a male figure who may be holding what seems to be tigers and other wild animals in both hands.

“There is an amazing sense of symmetry with this carving, which points to a high level associated with skill. The picture also depicts the relationship man shared with animals, ” Ms Datar says.

He says that seals of the Harappan civilisation – among the oldest civilisations in human history that blossomed in the Indian subcontinent – also illustrate the close partnership man shared with creatures.

“The closes have images of large animals like tigers and buffaloes and of man searching animals, ” the girl says.

Experts say that mysteries around these types of prehistoric rock carvings are far from being solved, but the Unesco tag — natural and ethnic landmarks from all over the world are singled out for “outstanding universal value” to humanity – can help preserve all of them for generations.

Three rock making sites in the Konkan region are already a part of Unesco’s tentative list of World Heritage websites, which is the first step in the direction of getting the tag for just about any culturally-significant site.

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