Jodhpur, Sept. 5 -- A recently published study has suggested that geolyphs, or giant geometric formations etched across expansive desert landscapes in Jaisalmer and Konkan areas in Maharashtra may have served as valuable landmarks and navigation aids for travellers. The study was conducted by Tanya Tibrewal, an IKS intern in the Department of AIHC and Archaeology at Banaras Hindu University; Vasant Shinde, a CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad; and Sachin Kumar Tiwary, an assistant professor in BHU's Department of AIHC and Archaeology. Their paper, "Geoglyphs in India: Landscape, Practice, and Perception (A Comparative Analysis of Konkan and Jaisalmer)", was published in the journal Ancient Asia. The researchers examined the Jaisalmer geoglyphs during fieldwork in 2022, focusing on the Boha area. Spread over approximately 3.5 km by 1.7 km between the Indira Gandhi Canal and Jaisalmer Road, the site contains large ground markings, decorated stone pillars, cupules and megalithic burials. Ceramics found in the area also offer evidence of everyday life and trade. Among the most striking formations is the Giant Spiral, measuring about 724 metres by 201 metres. It consists of a looping line nearly 12 km long, with around 12 increasingly complex windings. A serpentine formation southwest of the spiral extends for about 11 km. Its straight lines, U-shaped turns and curved sections give it a snake-like appearance. The researchers said the Jaisalmer designs were probably created by modifying the surface-clearing and arranging material-rather than engraving rock. Their enormous scale also indicates coordinated group activity. The study links the formations to long-distance movement, trade and desert navigation. Cairns, megaliths, memorial stones, engraved pillars and water points found around the geoglyphs support this interpretation. The formations have tentatively been assigned to the early medieval period, possibly the ninth or 10th century CE....