Archaeologists discover 2,000-year-old labyrinth in India

A Greek maze from 1200 BC with the same pattern as the recently found maze in India.

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published 10 August 2015

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old labyrinth in India that is the second-largest ever found in the country. The maze, which was discovered in Gedimedu along an ancient trade route on the east coast of India, measures 56 feet by 56 feet, with passages ranging from 2.6 feet to 3.6 feet. Mysteriously, it also has a pattern similar to Greek mazes found on clay tablets from 1200 BC. At this point, only 60 percent of the maze is visible, due a temple built overtop, but researchers plan to ask for its removal so they can continue study.

In the ancient world, mazes weren't just games — they were "complex and multifarious" symbols, Ancient Origins says. "The labyrinth has one pathway which leads inexorably to the goal from the point of entry. One has to walk through the right path to reach the goal," S. Ravikumar, chief of the research team, told the The Times of India. "It is believed that the person who walks through the seven routes correctly will fulfill his wishes." Ancient Origins reports that entering a labyrinth was akin to death; exiting was a rebirth.