GOAN ROCK ART NEWS

By Frederick Noronha

Dr. Nandkumar Kamat
nkamat@unigoa.ernet.in
May 5, 2000
GOAN ROCK ART NEWS-1
The Mysterious Petroglyph of Labyrinth in Goa shows Cretan influence?
This petroglyph of the labyrinth was found carved on Hard manganiferous
laterite on the bank of a stream in South Goa district in 1993 alongwith
100 zoomorphs and a few anthropomorphs within an area of 5000 square
metres.@Dr.Nandkumar Kamat,2000  

Discovered in 1993, by a group of which I was a member, the petroglyphs of
Goa , tentatively placed in the mesolithic period, comprise more than 100
diverse zoomorphs, and a few X-ray carvings, which mainly include both
extinct and still surviving fauna, e.g. Indian bison (Gaur), Antelope,
deer, elephant and a well carved labyrinth (1.5-1.7 m in dimaeter). All
these are found on hard Manganiferrous laterite platform which has a smooth
gradient towards the stream channel. The labyrinth was partly covered by a
mud layer of 0.75 m. which has been now cleared.The petroglyph gallery gets
submerged under the stream water for 5 months of the year. Very close to
the labyrinth is a carving of a stafff with bison horn motif and a central
lunar disc attached to a rectangular segmented strip. It shows remarkable
similarity with the Bronze staff with figures of horned goats facing each
other, found in the excavations at Mohen-jo-doro in Sindh. The area around
the rock art platform was once densely forested and not very far from the
site there is a cave on a mountain.

The Goan petroglyph of the Labyrinth appears stylistically identical with
the Cretan labyrinth found carved on ancient coins (see below).

The Cretan labyrinth on an ancient Coin

The petroglyphs of Goa have raised many questions about their creators and
the period. The Zoomorph stylistics shows similarity with central indian
and European forms. The cup marks or cupules are homologous to those found
in Italy,, kenya and Australia. The overall impression of the petroglyphs
is that of a ' hunter-food gatherers's' society having its' own shamanistic
traditions. The purpose of the labyrinth is however intriguing and its'
similarity with other such petroglyphs or rock paintings is indeed
confounding. In case you have any interesting information or suggestions,
please feel free to contact me at:- nkamat@unigoa.ernet.in

Postal address:-Department of Botany, Goa University, Taleigao, Goa, india,
403 403206.