Ratnagiri Petroglyphs: The missing Mesolithic link in Konkan region ?

1. Introduction

Ratnagiri is one of the 36 districts of Maharstra. This coastal and still predominantly rural
district falls under Konkan subdivision. Major physiological character of this district
constitutes of Western ghats and coastal plainland. The ghats here mostly eroded into huge
Laterite plateaus. The lateritic plateaus (technically known as ferricretes) are called sadas
in Marathi. They originated through natural geological processes on the top of the northern
Western Ghats ranges and in the Konkan-Malabar region of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka
and Kerala. These plateaus, historically, were home to many ancient cultures. Many of
these habitats were destroyed by mining for iron and aluminium ore, or quarrying for the
laterite stone, which is a popular building material. The last remaining vast stretches of
lateritic plateaus remain only in the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra. On
these vast stretches of laterite in Ratnagiri district, a huge repository of ancient petroglyphs
have been discovered by a local resident over past 25 years. As of January, 2019, 52 sites
have been confirmed and explored, and over 1,000 petroglyphs have been discovered. As
per ASI, Maharshtra, these Petroglyphs belong to a Mesolithic culture who were present in
that region between 25000 BCE and 3000 BCE.

2. Palaeolithic cultures in India

The first anatomically modern man, or Homo sapiens possibly reached Indian subcontinent
around 50-70000 BCE. Before that, evidences of other Homo Species, like Homo habilis,
have been found all across India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. These earlier cultures are called
lower Palaeolithic cultures. They used Oldowan, pebble flakes and Acheulean tools for
hunting small animals. At sites like Riwat on Soan basin in modern day Pakistan and other
river basins in Himachal, at Didwana in Rajasthan, evidences of human habitation
belonging to this era have been found. The oldest of them is 2 million years old. These tools
were still crude and were evolving slowly. Inhabitants domesticated fire for purposes other
than cooking meat. Then, came middle Paleolithic era. At sites like Attirapakkam in
Tamilnadu, Hungsi valley in Karnataka, Nevasa and Hathnora near Narmada valley,
artifacts belonging to Middle palaeolithic cultures have been found. In general, open-air
sites along streams, hill slopes, stable dune surfaces and rock shelters continued to be used.
Sanghao cave in modern Pakistan, sand dunes of Didwana, river valleys of Chambal,
Narmada, Son, Kortallayar etc., plateaus of Eastern India are some of examples of some of
the locations where Middle Palaeolithic hominid remains mostly have been found. Most of
the areas inhabited during the Lower Palaeolithic period are continued to be occupied by
the Middle Palaeolithic cultures. Though there were great deal of continuity, their life was
slowly evolving. Middle palaeolithic people mostly used flaked blade tools. They also had
started using fire for cooking meat. Cooked food revolutionized their life in two ways.
Firstly, their body could absorb the nutrients from the cooked food more easily, which,
eventually helped in their brain development. Secondly, less time was required for chewing
the food compared to the raw meat. These two facts gave them, for the first time in human
history, excess time, i.e. time for leisure. Probably that is why we find the first evidence of
artistic expression from this era. This expression took different forms in different sub-
cultures. In some places it came out in the form of rock art, in some other cases, they started
adorning their body with body painting or with ornaments made with beads. This era also
co-incides with the arrival of Homo sapiens from Africa. Slowly other Homo species have
died out or insignificantly merged with the superior clan. Homo sapiens had the largest
cranial cavity, used fire to cook food, could use some sort of verbal language for
communication, even collectively believed in some proto-religious practices. Their tools
were also developing. This culture is usually called the upper palaeolithic culture. The
backed blade tools are associated with them. Sites like Bhimbethka, Baghor, Renigunta,
Shorapur Doab etc. are associated with this upper palaeolithic culture. Rock art created in
this era gives us a fair amount of information about their life. They tell us that Upper-
Palaeolithic people were hunter-gathers, hunted in groups, took shelter in the natural caves,
used fire

to roast food, also practiced rituals. Then, came another time-period, which is named as
Meso-lithic era. This era is characterised by refined tools which are smaller in size, but
could have been attached with a ‘handle’ made from wood or bones. These tools are called
Micro-lithic tools. They were used for hunting as well as etching the rocks to create a more
permanent sort of art form – Petroglyphs.
Map 1: LOwer, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites in India

Source : People’s History of India : Prehistory, Habib, I,2002

3. General characteristics of Mesolithic arts in India

In general, the time period between 32000 BCE – 7000 BCE is considered to be the Meso-
lithic period in Indian sub-continent. People were still hunter-gatherers. Hunted animals
varied from Ox, buffalo, goat, sheep, deer, pig, rhinoceros, even elephants. No trace of
domestication of these animals in the early Mesolithic era. Towards the end of this era, we
find evidence of a comparatively sedentary lifestyle. The hunter gatherers became partially
pastoral. Temporarily shelters were being built with readily available materials like twigs,
logs, leaves etc, though majority of the population still took shelter in natural caves.
Evdence of handmade pottery have also been found from this era. The rock arts from this
era also suggest that they believed in Shamanism, that is to believe that Shaman or the
village priest can communicate with the supernatural power and in turn can control natural
occurrences which they didn’t understand. Another important finding from this era is, they
started having ritualistic Burial places. Grave goods also indicate towards their belief in
after-life.

The art form was also quickly changing from Upper-palaeolithic art-form. According to
the scholars the Mesolithic paintings essentially portray a hunting gathering population. It
is uniform in style and content all over India. Animal forms are naturalistic depictions while
the human figures are static and abstract. Amongst human figures the male figures are stick
like while the women are bulky box shaped with intricate body designs as infilling
comprising of spiral or honey-comb design patterns. Mesolithic rock art in India is also
characterised by X-ray depictions in which internal organs of the body of an animal or
human being were shown.

4. Different Forms of Rock-Art :

By Mesolithic era, two different art forms became evident: Pictograph and Petroglyph.
Pictographs are nothing but pictures painted with pigments on the surface of the natural
rocks. Sometimes techniques like blow-painting had also been used. These are additive
method. Whereas Petroglyph is a subtractive method, which was done either by rubbing,
hammering, scooping or pecking of rough granite surface. This one is more permanent in
nature and more often than not are found in outdoor areas, both on horizontal or vertical
stone surfaces. Cup-maks, or hemi-spherical depressions are also another form of
petroglyph, but reason behind their creation remains unknown.
5. Ratnagiri petroglyphs
Ratnagiri Petroglyphs were etched on the ground, on the face of the huge laterite outcrops
and eventually became hidden under plants and grasslands. the petroglyphs from this
region are mostly life-size figures of animals and human figures whose outlines have been
carved on the rock. These carvings are not deeper than 5 cm and the grooves are 3-4 cm
wide. Most of the petroglyphs in Ratnagiri seem to be made by pecking technique by
hammerstone. 1

Ratnagiri petroglyphs are difficult to date for lack of the absence of cultural material of the
surface. But Mesolithic sites discovered in the adjacent district of Sindhudurg suggests
that these petroglyphs belong to Mesolithic era. Hundreds of microlithic tools, probably
used to create these petroglyphs as well, have been found in a cave near Koloshi by a team
of Archaeological Society of India in March 2019. 2 As of now, these petroglyphs are being
assigned as approximate dating, which is 10000 BCE. 3

6. Major categories and their significance

Ratnagiri has over 1,200 carvings at 62 locations. They can broadly be classified into three
categories : Animal figures, Human or human-animal combined figures and abstract or
geometrical carving.

A. Animal figures

Animal figures have been discovered in villages near kasheli, Ukshi, Barsu sada etc. Most
interestingly, aquatic animals like shark and sting-rays were also included in the carving.
Animals like Rhinoceros had also been carved, which proves the existence of these animals
in this part of the country, which have now become extinct.

1
https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/petroglyphs-of-konkan-throw-light-on-
ancient-culture-842682.html
2
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/52000-yr-old-stone-tools-found-in-
cave/articleshow/68530956.cms
3
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/the-petroglyphs-of
ratnagiri/article25265399.ece
 Image 1(Left): Elephant carving at Ukshi
Image 2 (Above) : A cattleat Kasheli
Imgae 3 (Below) : A Shark and Rhinoceros, along with other
animals carved within a ginat elephant, at kasheli

All figures are life sized, apart from the elephant found in kasheli which covers an area of almost
100 Sqft. Most common animals are monkey, boar, deer, cattles, and many unidentified aquatic
and terrestrial animals. Few of them have
striking similarity between other magical
creatures like Scarab beetle. Though cattles
were part of this assemblage of artwork,
there is no evidence of domestication of the
same. These animals were most probably
hunted for their meat.
Image 4: A charging Rhinoceros, Chave Dewood
B. Human or human-animal combined figures
Human-figures, too are usually life sized. They can again be classified into three subtypes : full
body in frontal view, Shamanistic figures usually along with animals, and partial figures.
No traces of cloths are depicted in the figures. Sometimes, they are drawn like an X-ray figure.
Below are some of the examples of the Shamanistic figures :

Image 5: Master of Animals, with aquatic creatures, Barsu Sada

Image 6: Master of Animals, with two tigers, Barsu Sada

Image 7: Master of Animals, with two tigers, Barsu Sada

This kind of Master or Queen of animal imagery was quite common in early civilisations. In
Harappan seals, we find a figure which is usually identified as ‘Pashupati’ or Lord of the Animals
by the archaeologists. What is interesting is the fact that these petroglyphs were drawn at a much
earlier era. So we can say that a cultural continuity was evident.

Image 8 & 9: Master of Animals, Old kingdom Egypt and Harappa

The other group of ritualistic human figures, sometimes partial, consists of female figures in
birthing position or two lower legs with vulva or just leg impressions.

Image 10,11,12 : Different leg impressions around Niwali & Chave Dewood

This is comparable with the carving of mother Goddess in Usgalimal, near Goa, probabably
belonging to a later date of the same era.

Image 13 (Upper left) : Mother Goddess at Chave Dewood, Ratnagiri

Image 14 (Upper Middle): Mother Goddess, Usgalimal, Goa
Image 15 (Upper right): Lajja-Gauri, Karnataka

If we consider them as fertility symbols, a later cult of Lajja-gouri, especially prevalent in south
western India can also be called a later derivative of the same.

C. Abstract or geometrical carvings

Abstract symbols can again be classified into two
subgroups: Individual ones and large symbol carefully
composed with multiple patterns. Some of them even look
like cup-marks.

Image 16 (Right) : Abstract petroglyph, Uski

Image 17: Abstract symbol at Runde Talli

Image 18: Abstract symbol at Niwali (Courtsey : Live History India)

While the actual interpretation of these symbols are yet to be done, they most definitely
signifies ritualistic practices that might have been associated with these symbols.

7. Significance of Ratnagiri Petroglyph:

As per Tejas Garge, Director, Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Maharashtra, these
petroglyphs actually fill a huge gap in the history of the Konkan region. A team of researchers
from Deccan College, Pune, has recently discovered stone tools that were estimated to be
25,000 years old in a nearby cave. And then there are ample evidences that in the medieval age,
the Konkan coast was lined with important port towns. Epigraphs, memoirs and other records
show that it has a history of trade with many port-towns in Europe, and even with the Roman
Empire. Now if the port towns of Konkans flourished from 3000 BCE onwards, there is a gap
of almost a period 20000-22000 years from which no dateble artefact had been found so far.
Konkan petroglyphs, along with the microlithic tools found in a cave near Sindhudurg, can
help in understanding what happened in between these two major events.

8. Threats

Major threats that Ratnagiri petroglyphs are facing include mining and other human activities,
like road construction/expansion, building activities, farming etc. Also lack of awareness has
proven to be destructive to these immensely important artefacts. In 1990, ASI first
acknowledged the petroglyphs at Niwali, but it took almost 30 years for initiating further
investigation in the surrounding areas. Since most of the sites were discovered by local
enthusiasts and amateurs, the layers which could have contained the traces of cultural artefacts,
might have been lost in the process of ‘cleaning’. Only in the current year, Maharashtra
Government is pondering on the idea that this entire belt of Konkan where these petroglyphs
have been found, can also become a World Heritage Site in mixed category, in addition to their
already existing listing under natural habitat category.

9. Conclusion :

Ratnagiri petroglyphs, can provide a brilliant insight to the lives of the Mesolithic era dwellers
who lived within the coastal belt of Konkan, and it might become the most important findings
of the past decade.
Bibliography :

1. Bednarik, R.G. 1993. ‘Palaeolithic Art in India’, Man and Environment 18(2): 33-40.
2. Brodrick, A.H., 1948. Prehistoric Painting, London.
3. Habib, I, 2002. People's History of India 1: Prehistory, Chennai.
4. Neumayer, Erwin, 1993. Lines On Stone: The Prehistoric Rock Art of India, Manohar
Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi
5. Bose, M, (2020) ‘Petroglyphs of Konkan throw light on ancient culture’, Deccan Herald,
Mumbai, 28 May
[Web link : https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/petroglyphs-of-
konkan-throw-light-on-ancient-culture-842682.html]

6. Sriram, J (2018) ‘The petroglyphs of Ratnagiri’, The Hindu, Chennai, 20 October

[Web Link : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/the-petroglyphs-of-
ratnagiri/article25265399.ece ]
7. https://kevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com/2019/03/14/the-konkan-petroglyphs-
introduction/