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Context:

Maharashtra government recently declared 1,500 geoglyphs spread across 70 locations in 210 square-kilometre area of the Ratnagiri district as ‘protected monument’.

Details

What is a geoglyph?

• A geoglyph is an ancient ground drawings.
• Geoglyphs are either anthropomorphic, zoomorphic or simple geometric shapes.

Type

• Extractive geoglyphs (also called negative, "campo barrido" or intaglio) involves scraping away of the top layer of soil on a piece of land, exposing contrasting colors and textures of the lower layer to create designs.
• Additive geoglyphs (or positive or rock alignments) are made by gathering materials and piling them on the soil surface to create the design.
• Size: They are generally longer than 4 metres produced on the ground by durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth.
• Significance: These are often connected to religion and spirituality. They are of cultural significance and last a long time as a testament.
• Examples of some important geoglyphs around the world: The Cerne Abbas Giant, the Uffington White Horse, the Atacama Giant and the Nazca lines are some significant geoglyphs.

The geoglyphs of India:

Maharshtra

• About 1,500 geoglyphs, scattered along 900 km of Konkan coastline, is a symbol of a rich cultural landscape.
• Jambhrun, Ukshi, Kasheli, Rundhetali, Devi hasol, Barsu, DevacheGothane, Kudopi.
• The state government designated these “Geoglyphs of Konkan region,” which were included in the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage List in 2022, as “protected monuments”.

Other areas

• Eight sites near the village of Boha,  Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.
• Geoglyphs have recently been reported from Karnataka’s Kollur region in the Udupi district, where, in 2019,a large abstract pattern was noted with Tulu script.
• More recently, a 3,000-year-old Iron Age geoglyph circle was discovered in Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana.

Risk of destruction:

Certain areas of Barsu and Solgaon were designated as industrial areas.

Rock paintings	Petroglyphs	Geoglyphs
Rock paintings are found painted on the walls of rock shelters and are sometimes accompanied by petroglyphs, cupules etc. The highest concentration of rock paintings are found in Central India and few in the eastern parts of the Indian subcontinent. Of these, the most important ones are found in the World Heritage Property of Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka.	Petroglyphs are engravings on the vertical surfaces or on boulders and may sometimes accompany paintings. This is widely available across the subcontinent with higher concentration in the Himalayas, North East and Southern parts of the Indian peninsular region. Other sites are located in rock shelters in Eddikal (Kerala), Perumukkal and Kollur (Tamil nadu), Champhai district of Mizoram and Salangthel, Khoupum, and Tharon (Manipur). The most prominent concentration of petroglyphs, that of Ladakh, Himalayan region are included in the Property ‘Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India’.	Geoglyphs are engraved or incised on the floor or rock bed and are open air ensembles. These are extremely rare to find and only occur on the lateritic plateaus of the Konkan belt (western edge of the Western Ghats, in peninsular India).

Source

https://www.thoughtco.com/geoglyphs-ancient-art-of-the-landscape-171094

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-a-geoglyph.html

https://theprint.in/opinion/maharashtras-geoglyphs-discovery-is-citizen-archaeology-at-its-best-it-put-india-on-the-map/2238092/

PRACTICE QUESTIONS Q. Recently Nazca Lines, groups of geoglyphs, often mentioned in news is located in which country? A. Chile B. Peru C. Brazil D. Argentina Answer: D