Konkan geoglyphs

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A backgrounder

As of 2025

Sep 21, 2025: The Times of India

Pune : The prehistoric geoglyphs (a large design on Earth’s surfac e made by removing or placing soil, sand, stones, etc) of Konkan coast, presented for Unesco World Heritage Sites nomination, could date back as far as 24,000 years and be among the oldest known rock art traditions in the world, Maharashtra’s Directorate of Archaeology and Museums told TOI Saturday, reports Neha Madaan.


Earlier estimates placed the age of many Konkan geoglyphs at 10,000 years. “Recent investigations suggested a much older time frame based on excavations and stratigraphic evidence from Koloshi caves,” an official said. 


Officials said recent excavations yielded cultural layers around 38,000 years old. “To be on the safe side, we are dating the geoglyphs presented for World Heritage Sites nomination around 24,000 years,” the official said.

Maha dept dossier likens Konkan carvings to int’l sites

The official said, “They appear to have continued till the historical period.” The state authorities have moved to protect the sites under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments Act. 
“Out of eight identified locations in the state, five have been notified, with the rest expected by the year-end. Conservation works, including stone fencing, information boards and basic visitor facilities, have begun. By the time the Unesco team comes, they should be able to see the efforts taken,” Maharashtra’s Directorate of Archaeology and Museums director Tejas Garge said. 


The state’s cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar has sanctioned a Rs 4.5-crore “geoglyph desk” to fund research and a documentary on the tentative-list sites, which officials said could be aired on channels such as National Geographic or Discovery, as part of efforts to bolster Maharashtra’s Unesco World Heritage bid.


The state archaeology department’s official dossier submitted to Unesco compares the Konkan carvings with international sites such as Peru’s Nazca lines, Chile’s Atacama Giant and California’s Blythe intaglios. It notes that while the Konkan engravings are smaller in scale than these global sites, they are more intricate, carved into hard laterite using stone and metal tools.