Archaeologists uncover 2,000-year-old maze

Archaeologist Sachin Patil said in December 2025 that a circular stone labyrinth uncovered in Maharashtra's Boramani grasslands is the largest of its kind recorded in India. The structure, in Solapur district, measures about 50 feet by 50 feet and has 15 concentric circuits made from small stone blocks, according to reporting by The Times of India. A follow-up report published on May 17 said the find was drawing renewed attention because researchers believe it may add to evidence of ancient links between inland India and the Roman world. Field studies and protection decisions are still underway, according to local media reports. ### Who found the stone labyrinth, and when did researchers identify it? The Nature Conservation Circle, a local NGO working in the Boramani grassland safari sanctuary, first noticed the formation while monitoring Great Indian Bustard and wolf populations, The Times of India reported. The group included Pappu Jamadar, Nitin Anvekar, Dhananjay Kakade, Bharat Chheda, Aditya Zhingade and Sachin Sawant, according to that report. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) December 17, 2025, was the date Patil examined the site and confirmed its significance, The Times of India reported. Patil is identified in the report as an archaeologist from Deccan College in Pune. ### What exactly is at Boramani? The Boramani structure has 15 circular circuits and a spiral-like center, according to The Times of India and other follow-up reports. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Jeff Saward, editor of the UK-based labyrinth journal *Caerdroia*, told The Times of India that the design belongs to the “classical family,” while the center spiral is a feature “very specific to India,” often called “chakravyuh.” A previous circular labyrinth record in India stood at 11 circuits, The Times of India reported in December. The same report said a 56-foot square labyrinth in Gedimedu, Tamil Nadu, remains larger by overall area, but the Boramani find is the largest circular example documented in India. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) ### Why are archaeologists linking the site to Rome? Patil told The Times of India that labyrinths like the Boramani example may have served as navigational markers for merchants moving through western India. He said Roman traders exchanged gold, wine and ornamental stones for Indian spices, silk and indigo dye. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The Times of India said earlier excavations in Maharashtra had already produced objects tied to the Roman world, including bronze mirrors and a statue linked to Poseidon, the Graeco-Roman sea god. P.D. Sabale, head of the archaeology department at Deccan College, told the newspaper that the wider belt including Kolhapur, Karad and Ter was a major zone of foreign trade. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) ### How firm is the dating? The Times of India said researchers estimate the labyrinth could be more than 2,000 years old and place it in the Satavahana period, when the dynasty ruled much of the Deccan between about 200 BC and 200 AD. That dating, as presented in the reports, is based on archaeological interpretation rather than a published carbon-dating result. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The soil between the rings is about 1.5 inches deep, according to the December report, which cited that buildup as a sign the structure had remained undisturbed for centuries. A Marathi-language Sakal report published on April 19 said experts were still urging carbon-dating work and a formal conservation decision. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) ### What has happened since the discovery became public? May 17, 2026, brought a fresh Times of India report that framed the labyrinth as a discovery that could affect understanding of India’s ancient Rome links. That piece largely restated the dimensions, age estimate and trade-route theory already reported in December, while saying the site was attracting wider attention from archaeologists and historians. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) April 19, 2026, was the date Sakal reported that a decision from the archaeology department had still not been made four months after the find entered public discussion. The same report said the Boramani site was awaiting protection measures and that calls for conservation had grown. ### What comes next at the site? The 2026 edition of *Caerdroia* is expected to include details of the Boramani labyrinth, according to The Times of India's December report. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) That would give the discovery a specialist publication record beyond newspaper coverage. In Solapur district, the next steps remain more practical than ceremonial. (esakal.com) Local reporting says researchers are continuing field study, while officials have yet to decide on protection, carbon dating and other conservation measures for the Boramani site. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)