Ancient Maharashtra rock art declared a ‘Protected Monument’.
On August 11, the geoglyphs and petroglyphs in Ratnagiri were declared ‘protected monuments’ by the Maharashtra government under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960.
According to a notification issued by the Culture Department, the group of petroglyphs at Deud in Ratnagiri dates back to the Mesolithic Age (about 20,000–10,000 years ago).
Geoglyphs and petroglyphs are different types of ancient art.
They involve the creation of images or designs on the surface of the earth or on a rock surface.
According to the notification, the petroglyphs depict rhinoceros, deer, monkey, donkey and footprints.
In the Konkan region, the petroglyphs group is important as they depict the works of Mesolithic man.
In Maharashtra and Goa, the geoglyphs are spread over a 900-kilometer area of the Konkan coast.
Ratnagiri alone has more than 1,500 such artworks at 70 sites, seven of which are on UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage List.
