GEOGLYPH (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – History)

Context: Recently, a geoglyph in the form of a circle said to be 3,000 years old, has been unearthed in Telangana.

Geoglyph

• About: A geoglyph is a work of art that is created by arranging or moving objects within a landscape. 
• Positive geoglyph: These objects are usually stones or earth. They are the intentional human-made renderings. 
• Negative geoglyphs: These are usually made by removing or clearing sand or stones or sometimes adding stones.
• Location: The geoglyph was unearthed on the outskirts of Mudichu Thalapalli, located in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana.
• Characteristics: Carved onto a low-lying granitoid hillock, the geoglyph boasts a perfect circular shape with a diameter of 7.5 meters. Encircling the circle is a 30-centimeter-wide rim, and inside the circle, two triangles can be found.
• Period: Dating back to the Iron Age, the geoglyph is estimated to have originated around 1000 BCE.

Significance

• Archaeologists propose that this circular formation could have functioned as a model for megalithic communities in planning their circular burial sites. 
• The discovery of this newly found geoglyph highlights the artistic skills and etching techniques of the Iron Age inhabitants in Telangana. Archaeologists have hailed it as a pioneering find in the region.