The Koloshi village in western Maharashtra’s Konkan region has called for much intrigue from the archeology community after a group of researchers discovered a cave, located 10 kilometers from the village with several stone tools in the cave dating back tens of thousands of years.

“Nowhere in the world can we find rock art of this kind,” Dr. Tejas Garge, Head of Maharashtra Archeology Department said. Archaeologists believe these artifacts can help us learn more about the way our ancestors lived.

The cave, located in a secluded forest in Sindhudurg, was discovered by researchers studying rock carvings in the surrounding area. The excavation work was carried out in two rounds, during which archaeologists dug two trenches inside the cave. Many large and small stone tools from the Mesolithic period, also called the Middle Stone Age, have been found.

“The microliths, or the small stone tools, date back to around 10,000 years, whereas the larger tools could be around 20,000 years old,” quoted Mr. Rutivij Apte, who has been researching the Konkan petroglyphs and was part of the excavation team.

Archaeologist Dr. Parth Chauhan revealed that chemical processes are used to analyze any residue found on the edges of artefacts. This will help determine what the object was used for.

“It will take a couple of months to find out the exact time period these stone tools belong to. But right now, we can say that these artefacts are between 10,000 to 48,000 years old.” Dr. Chauhan added.

The laterite-rich Konkan Plateau of Maharashtra, where this cave was discovered, is also a treasure trove of prehistoric art. Past explorers have discovered rock carvings of animals, birds, human figures and geometric designs hidden beneath layers of soil in many villages here.

Eight rock carving sites in the Konkan region are already part of UNESCO’s provisional list of World Heritage Sites, the first step for any culturally significant site to get the tag.

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