A newly explored cave in Konkan area of Maharashtra is believed to hold clues to the creators of petroglyphs, prehistoric forms of communication and engraved art, found on laterite rocks in the region. The rock carvings were created between 10,000 years and 2,000 years ago. While the longest of them is nearly 57 feet, with a width of about 17 feet, the shortest one is 2 to 3 cm. It all started with a breach in the roof of a laterite – a reddish clayey material – cave at Koloshi in Sindhudurg's Kankavali taluka, prompting an excavation by a team from the state's archaeology department. The experts made some exciting discoveries. They found over 700 stone tools of varying sizes, including microliths (small stone tools), inside the Konkan cave. "We were searching for the habitational sites of those humans who carved the petroglyphs, when we chanced upon these caves," said Rutwij Apte, co-ordinator of the technical team. There are plans to undertake a larger excavation in the next season to unearth bones, cultural remains, teeth and coal which may help in dating the cave. "We will try to study the correlations between them as we are unsure about the caves and the petroglyphs belonging to the same period. However, the primary evidence is the existence of microliths at both sites," he noted, adding that they would study the petroglyphs based on ecological and zoological factors. For instance, carvings of animals like single-horn rhinos and elephants have been located. Ecological and zoological investigations will reveal when the region had a climate to help these animals habitate it. Apte said there are few habitational caves in the Konkan and western coast, barring those like Susrundi at Guhagar in Ratnagiri. "There is little evidence of the history of the Konkan before the Satavahana era set in from second century BC onwards, making it a part of the dark age. However, these findings reveal that early man lived here and there was human habitation." MORE ON PETROGLYPHS

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