Savannas in western Maharashtra are at least 750 years old, says a new study published in the British Ecological Society journal People and Nature. Researchers from Michigan State University and IISER Pune used medieval Marathi literature and local oral traditions to map the ecological history of these open tree-grass landscapes. The team found mentions of typical savanna plants like hivara and taraṭī in 28 texts from the 13th to 20th century CE, across regions including Pune and Satara. They identified 62 plant species, mainly wild and linked to savanna ecosystems. Ashish N. Nerlekar from Michigan State said, "It’s fascinating that something hundreds of years old could so closely match what is around today." The study also cross-checked findings with paintings, colonial records, pollen data, and animal remains. These sources confirmed that savannas were shaped by climate, fire, and grazing, not by tree loss from deforestation. The researchers warn against treating savannas as degraded forests and planting trees, which could harm biodiversity and local pastoral groups. They urge a biocultural conservation approach that protects nature and the sacred cultural sites tied to these savannas. This fresh take challenges the common idea that these lands are wastelands needing forest restoration. The authors suggest preserving Maharashtra’s savannas as unique, historically rich ecosystems rather than changing them to forests.