New Delhi, July 1: What began as a routine visit to document the biodiversity of Delhi’s Central Ridge led two environmentalists to an unexpected discovery, a set of rock carvings etched into a quartzite outcrop near the Polo Ground that experts say require detailed scientific study before their age or significance can be determined.
The carvings were noticed by environmentalists Pradip Krishen and Chetan Agarwal during one of their regular visits to the Ridge, where they usually document the area’s rich biodiversity and plant life.
Krishen said the two had visited the spot several times before, but it was during a recent visit that Agarwal noticed unusual markings on a large quartzite rock protruding from the ground near the Polo Ground.
“The discovery itself was accidental. We were there to study the Ridge’s biodiversity, not to look for archaeological remains. Chetan noticed the carvings, which intrigued us. We later brought along a historian friend, who suggested that they could possibly be petroglyphs,” he said.
Petroglyphs are ancient symbolic images or figures carved or scratched on rock surfaces.
Krishen said he was not an expert on petroglyphs and therefore could not speculate on the age of the carvings.
He added that it is difficult to say exactly how old the petroglyphs are. (PTI)
