Context:
A geoglyph in the form of a circle said to be 3,000 years old has been recently unearthed on the outskirts of Mudichu Thalapalli in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana.
Relevance:
GS I: History
Dimensions of the Article:
- Exploring Geoglyphs
- Telangana Geoglyph
- Nazca Lines
Exploring Geoglyphs
- A geoglyph is a large design or motif, typically longer than 4 meters, created on the ground using durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, gravel, or earth.
- Formed by arranging or moving objects within the landscape.
Types of Geoglyphs:
- Positive Geoglyph:
- Formed by arranging and aligning materials on the ground.
- Similar to petroforms, which are outlines created using boulders.
- Negative Geoglyph:
- Formed by removing part of the natural ground surface, creating differently colored or textured ground.
- Similar to petroglyphs.
- Arbour Glyph:
- Involves seeding plants in a special design.
- Takes years to form as it depends on plant growth.
- Chalk Giants:
- Carved into hillsides, exposing the bedrock beneath.
Geoglyphs in History:
- Nazca Lines (Peru): Ancient and mysterious geoglyphs.
- Other Examples: Megaliths in the Urals, Uffington White Horse, Long Man of Wilmington.
Telangana Geoglyph:
Features:
- Etched on a low-lying granitoid hillock.
- Spans 5 meters in diameter with a perfect circular shape.
- 30-centimeter-wide rim surrounds the circle, and two triangles are within.
- Dated to the Iron Age (around 1000 BCE).
- Suggested to have served as a model for megalithic communities in planning circular burial sites.
Nazca Lines
- Location: Group of massive geoglyphs in southern Peru’s Nazca Desert.
- Timeline: Estimated to have been designed between 500 BCE and 500 CE.
Characteristics:
- Some lines are straight, while others depict intricate designs of animals and plants.
- Combined length of all lines exceeds 808 miles, covering an area of around 19 square miles.
- Individual design width ranges from 0.2 to 0.7 miles.
- Created by removing the top layer of soil, with a depth between four and six inches.
- Certain shapes are visible from heights of up to 1,500 feet.
Preservation:
- The dry and windless climate of the region has contributed to the preservation of the lines over the years.
-Source: The Hindu
