Pre-history refers to the very ancient period for which no written documents are available. Our knowledge of this era comes from archaeological finds like tools, pottery, remnants of settlements, and, most importantly, rock paintings found on cave walls.
Discovery of Rock Paintings in India
The discovery of rock paintings in India is credited to scholars like Cockburn, Anderson, and Ghosh in 1867-68. Since then, numerous sites have been found across the Indian subcontinent.
Key Sites and Their Characteristics
Lakhudiyar (Uttarakhand): Located 20 km from Almora, the rock paintings here can be categorized into three groups: human figures, animal figures, and geometric shapes. The paintings use white, black, and red colors. One notable painting shows human figures holding hands and dancing.
Kupgallu, Piklihal, and Tekkalkota (South India): These sites feature three types of paintings: some are white, some are red, and others are red on a white background. They belong to the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and early historic periods. The paintings depict various animals, humans, and symbols like tridents.
Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh): Situated in the Vindhyachal mountain range, Bhimbetka is India's largest and most remarkable rock painting site. The paintings here are from several time periods, categorized into seven stylistic and technical groups. The main periods include:
Upper Paleolithic Age:
Medium: Dark red and green stone.
Subject Matter: Large animals like bison, elephants, tigers, and boars.
Style: The paintings are often geometric and schematic.
Mesolithic Age:
Size: Figures became smaller in this period.
Subject Matter: Hunting scenes are dominant. Hunters are shown both naked and clothed.
Daily Life: Paintings also depict scenes of daily life, such as communal dancing, gathering food, grinding grain, and cooking.
Features of the Rock Paintings
Subject Matter: Prehistoric paintings primarily feature scenes of hunting, music, riding elephants and horses, battles, honey collection, and other daily activities.
Color Palette: The artists at Bhimbetka used a range of colors, including black, yellow, red, purple, brown, green, and white.
Location: The paintings were created on the walls, ceilings, and inner surfaces of rock shelters.
Artistic Style: These paintings are artistically captivating, showing a realistic and harmonious blend of color and proportion.
Conclusion
Prehistoric rock paintings are crucial for understanding the lives, habits, daily routines, and thoughts of our ancestors. They offer a glimpse into the human society of that period and its relationship with the environment.
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